Out On An Island
by adversary2113
Summary: Jackson/Eric Jackson had more than one secret on his tape. How will the others react? And when he and Eric take off together to look for help, will they survive being hunted by the apex predator of the island? Slash/ adventure. Rated M
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's note: This is my take on the first season of the show and Jackson's action therein. Whole lotta slash implied there.

Rated M for content, slash, drug references and strong, graphic violence.

Set during Until Proven Guilty/Scratch, with flashbacks in the first chapter to the first week.

Out on An Island

Chapter One: The Secret Gets Out

The world seemed to reach up and slap Eric McGorrill in the face as Jackson's strong hands wrenched the blue tarp the food boxes ere sitting on out from under his feet. The tall, sandy haired teen pointed an accusing finger at Eric's stunned face as the smaller youth looked up at him, fear plain on his fox featured face.

" You're a thief!" Jackson snarled, a look of barely restrained fury on his face, his lips twitching, his clenched jaws showing his high cheekbones off in the bright light from the blazing sun.

Eric smirked up at him, his momentary flash of fear gone, for he knew who held the high card in this hand. Let Jackson posture and bluff, he had the aces in this deal. " Whoa, What's the matter there Chief? There must be something really bad on your tape for you to get all worked up like this!" His bravado was short lived as the larger and stronger Jackson pounced on him, grabbing his shirt in his large hands and getting right up in the other young mans face.

" The tapes, asshole. Bring 'em back. Now!" he shot to his feet, picked up Eric's dropped banana and flung it, starting to walk off when Eric chilled his blood with his own parting comment.

" What's wrong Jackson? Pissed because "I'm not your type?" he taunted, then hastily sped off as Jackson gave him a look that promised pain and suffering if he got his powerful hands on him. Eric might have risked staying if he had seen the bleak look that crossed Jackson's face the instant their backs were turned to one another.

His mind flashed back to two days ago, when Mel had accused him of flirting with Abby Fujimoto, who had been lost for four days and had been found by the seven of them. Eric had ran up as Melissa had made the accusation.

" Hey , if there's flirting going on , I should be involved. he had said.

Jackson had put a hand on Eric's chest and told him, " You're not my type." No heat to it. No disgust. A simple statement of fact. And for some reason, the scene had replayed itself in Jackson's mind a dozen times since then.

_He knows. He has to or he'd have never said what he did to me. And if he knows one, then he knows the other. But how the fuck do I stop him without making it worse? If I beat his ass don, then they'll know he was telling the truth. Maybe it's best if I just jet. I might be able to catch up with Abby and help find the others. _

He heard someone running up behind him. It was Melissa" Mel" Wu, who had made t plain she had a serious crush on him for days now. She skidded to a stop, out of breath.

" We need you back at the camp. Nathan and Daley think Lex knows what happened to the tapes and they wan us to help find him.

" Ok, give me just a minute. Uh, I gotta got hit the latrine first," he flushed in embarrassment, but it was the one thing he could think of that would buy him a minutes time.

Mel flushed slightly as well. _She's cute as hell, I hate this lying all the damn time; she deserves better , _he thought as she nodded and took off jogging again.

_I have to find Lex, or Eric, or both of them and try to derail this damn train wreck. I don't have any pride left, may as well let it all hang out. I just hope they don't hate me when they find out my secrets. Both of them._

He took off into the jungle.

Author's Note: The reason why.

I was always sorta bothered by the bizarre way Jackson character as portrayed. They wanted a man of mystery, but it was so disjointed, it frustrated me. His character was a bad ass one minute, who had been in a gang , but couldn't accept Mel's attraction to him? He carried a self made knife, but couldn't jab a needle into Eric? And the whole" you're not my type , but I'll say it softly with my hand on your chest" deal screamed odd things to me. But the main reason, other than wanting a Eric/Jacksson deal without Mel like in my other stories was because in Guilty Until Proven and Scratch, they made a brave guy out to be a coward. He deserved better than that. It was out of character then and especially considering the second season and Hotel Tango. So, I decided to show what I think might have happened.

Comments and suggestions are always welcome.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Here: Thanks for the kind words. Oh, and for not commenting on the inevitable typos. I really gotta get a new laptop, especially one with a working w key.**

**Chapter Two**

**Coming Clean**

**Jackson ran through the jungle trails as fast as his long legs would carry him. He was distantly aware of the gathering storm clouds in the distance as he topped the short rise to the clearing the camp was in. he heaved a sigh of relief as he saw Lex wandering around with his hands in his pockets , his head down, but walking as though the hole world had turned against him. **

_**That poor kid, **_**Jackson thought with a pang of deeply rooted sympathy and affection for the ten year old, **_**I feel so damn guilty about him putting himself in the line of fire like this, to protect me. I have to get this over with now. I can't justify having a little kid trying to protect me. **_**And then he ran up to Lex and grabbed his arm, just in time to keep Taylor from seeing him.**

**The boys gasped in surprise as Jackson rushed to clamp a hand over his mouth and firmly pulled him away from the others. When they had gotten a couple of dozen yards away, he dropped to a knee and looked up at the dark eyed boy, letting it all out in a rush.**

" **Lex, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but it's over. I can't let you get hurt trying to help me. Go get the tapes from wherever you hid them at and meet up with me at the plane, ok?" His chest was tight with fear at the though of what he had to do, but at least this additional burden was about to be lifted. **

**Lex protested, " But Jackson, without any proof , it's just Eric's word against yours! They would believe you; they trust you, just like I do!" His tiny face scrunched up like he was fighting back the urge to cry. " e can still do this." He pulled his cap off of his head and rang it between his hands as he pleaded. **

**Jackson fought back a tear or two himself as he gave Lex a quick hug. "Lex, if I don't do this, then I don't deserve any of your trust. And I can't be blackmailed this way by Eric. That would make it worth doing all by itself. Now, go get the tapes and hurry. I'll get the others don there to meet us. Just dodge Eric if you can." He had a grim smile on his face and a gleam I his eye, " He'll be pissed when his little scheme comes apart and you're an easier target than me. Now, get moving." He gently shoved the black haired boy, who took off running into the densest part of the jungle. Jackson had a one sided smile on his face for a moment before the bleak look from before came back.**

_**Man, I wish all my friends had been that loyal to me. Well, I better gather everyone up and get this over with. **_**He went off in search of the others.**

**Fifteen minutes later, Jackson and Lex were standing side by side in front of 29DWN, the crashed Dehavilland Heron that had brought them here over a week ago. The sky was slowly growing overcast, the winds had picked up and had the waves white capped out past the reef that covered this side of the island. The air had gotten cool and that suited Jackson's mood perfectly as he saw Eric straggling up behind Mel, Taylor, Daley and Nathan. His mood as still disturbed by the knot of fear in his stomach however, as he face the five of them, the camcorder in his hand. **

" **What's this all about Jackson?" red headed Daley Marin, Lex's stepsister asked, concern giving her freckled face a unattractive look. She had been concerned about Lex's part in the events and it had made her slightly short tempered. " Why do you have the camera out?"**

" **Yeah, if the tapes are gone, isn't the camera sort of, well, useless?" Taylor asked in obvious confusion. " Unless someone found the tapes?" she added hopefully. She had made the comment earlier that her tape was going to be her ticket to stardom when or if they were rescued.**

" **Lex had the tapes hidden earlier. He's brought them back and would like to apologize to all of you. He was doing it to try to protect me, "' Jackson said simply, from here he stood with his hands no protectively on Lex's shoulders."**

" **You little creep!" Taylor spat in instant anger taking a fast step towards Lex, " I ought to ," she screeched to a halt as Daley stepped in front of her.**

**The sturdily built young woman gave Taylor a quelling look, " You touch my brother and I'll beat your ass from one end of this island to the other." Taylor took several steps back, muttering under her breath. Daley ignored the mumbling as she turned back to Lex and asked as levelly as she could, " What are you trying to protect Jackson from Lex?" She stood there, her arms crossed, giving Jackson a decidedly unfriendly look as she awaited a reply."**

**Lex explained. " I was walking in the edge of the jungle yesterday when I heard voices, two of them. And I could tell one of them was a recording from the way it sounded. I looked around and I saw Eric sitting by a tree, watching a tape. And I could tell from the voice that it wasn't his. It was Jackson's."**

**Eric protested vehemently, " You little sneak! You were spying on me?!" he exclaimed in feigned outrage. He didn't have a chance to continue as Daley shut him down swiftly.**

" **Shut up and let Lex talk." she commanded. To Eric's dismay, all of the others, even Taylor, seemed willing to back her up . " Keep going ."**

**Lex resumed. " I walked over and I didn't really mean to, but I kept listening once I realized what Jackson was saying. It was wrong of me to do it; it made me just as bad as Eric." **

**Who promptly ranted: " Yeah, well, I don't regret snooping around, not considering what I found out about our mystery man. And you know what, I'd do it again considering what I know now! And any of you would if you knew what was on his tape. And we elected him leader!." He laughed in derision at the entire group.**

" **I took the tapes thinking if everyone's was gone, then no one person cold be single out. That was wrong and I'm sorry. I'll take whatever punishment you guys decide on." The boy scuffed his feet on the white sands as Jackson spoke up.**

" **Before you guys decide on punishments, I'd like to say something." He nervously swallowed and looked at them. " I haven't been honest about who I am and what I am with you guys. For that, I'm sorry. I abused your trust in me by not showing that same trust to you people. What I want all of you to do is watch my tape and listen. I'll be over on the dune there, " he pointed to where he frequently fished in the mornings, a small rise about two hundred yards off, " and when you're done, if you need more explanations, I'll give them. And I'll take whatever punishment Lex gets, because I'm as guilty as he is, at least." with that said, he pulled his hood up on his black hoodie and strode off.**

**A half hour later he as sitting there, his head down and drowsing to the crashing waves when Mel's hesitant voice roused him. " Jackson, we would like you to come back over and answer a few questions for us." She had no emotion in her voice and she wouldn't meet his eyes before she turned and left. He felt his stomach do cartwheels as he got up and went to , at least temporarily, rejoin the group.**

**They were in a semicircle facing him as he walked up. Fortunately, it was Nathan, not Daley, who was apparently serving as the questioner for the group. " Is it all true, what's on the tape Jackson?" he asked ith surprising kindness in his musical voice."**

" **Yeah, it's all true." he confessed .**

" **You're gay?" Mel asked, a sob plain in her voice. Naturally, of his two secrets, that one would effect her the most. " Jackson, why didn't you tell me! You made me look like a complete idiot, chasing you around like that." Her emotions were plain on her face.**

**It was Taylor who spoke next, " Mel's right. I mean, look at how many gay people live in LA, it's not that big of a deal."**

" **It is in the part I come from Taylor!" Jackson snapped back, " Where I come from, that's one of the quickest ways of being singled out and where I roll, the last thing you want to be is singled out! I was one of all of five white guys at my old school. It was hard enough being accepted there without everyone knowing I'm gay on top of it all."**

**Nathan finally spoke again: " Dude, believe it or not, I do get it. I still, in the 21st**** century, have some idiots on both sides of my family who don't like it because my mom is Italian and my dad is African American. But man, you should have told us. And especially about the rest, the stabbing."**

**Jackson hung his head, " I hate with all my heart that Big J got hurt trying to defend me. He nearly died. But I heard from him just before we left LAX. At least I know he's alive. I'm just afraid it'll keep me away from my mom even longer. I should have trusted you guys enough to have opened up, but I've been alone so long, I don't know here I belong." he lifted a shaking hand up to the sky, catching a droplet of drizzle in it. Moisture from his eyes fell as well as his walls came down as he turned his tear stained face toward the others, " Where do I go now, now that my lying has cost me all of you?"**

**Mel hesitated for a split second, then flung her arms around him, " You don't have to go anywhere, you're right here, with us." She jabbed him right over his heart with a finger, " But you have to let us in there too. You have to trust us if we're going to keep trusting you. No more lies, ok?" She brushed the tears off of his face.**

**Nathan put a hand on Jackson's shoulders and added:" It's true. We need you just like you need us. And my dad is the County DA. I promise, when we get home, I'll ask him to help. As for the other deal, don't ask me on a date and I won't have to hurt your feelings." He gave a grin to Jackson. Who grinned back.**

**Daley spoke up: " We need each other, apparently more than we realized. E decided that since you were trying to keep chaos down and that Lex's intentions were good, that your punishment should be decided by you. But as for Eric, you get cleanup detail for the next week by yourself." She gave a stern look to the young man to her left.**

**Eric had been standing there quietly but at that, he exploded into a rage.**

" **I get punished because Junior here stole the tapes and the lying fag gets to make his own punishment. Fuck all of you!" And it that, he stomped off towards the camp, a rumble of thunder giving him a almost comical exit.**

**Jackson was pale as a ghost as he whispered, " It's already starting. He hates me just because I'm gay."**

**The raindrops began to fall on the group as they slowly alked back toards the camp.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

They were busy now, preparing for the coming storm. The dark clouds had surrounded them completely now, lighting flashing every few seconds from the thunderheads, raindrops steadily splattering down on them with steadily increasing size and intensity. Jackson and Mel were working side by side, tying down everything that couldn't fit in the boys tent. They both had rain gear on now, she in her brought blue raincoat, he in his dark green one, a dark wool cap covering his head.

As they lugged the last of the chair from the plane over by the boys tent, Jackson said thoughtfully, " You know, if we put these around the base of the tent, these might keep it from blowing away." He knelt don and began maneuvering the tent so that the seat would fit over the edge.

" You're right, they should help weight it down." she agreed readily, helping him with their placement. As they worked, she took the time to ask him in a teasing manner, " So, have you decided on your punishment yet?" she asked, having to practically shout over the howling wind, " Are you going to take ten lashes or something?" A streak of lightning lit up her smiling face for a split second.

" Hey, I lied, I didn't kill anyone, " he paused for a beat, " yet." Then he burst out laughing at the sour look Mel gave him. " Hey lighten up Mel, I was just tryin' to brighten the mood up some." He straightened up as he got the last seat into place. " There, that should hold it for a while at least." He flexed his arms. "Man," he looked skyward at the rolling and rollicking storm clouds, " I always love the way the air feels just before a big storm, like you can feel the electricity in it."

" I know, " she said, the ends of her hair whipping in the winds a she stood beside him, " It always sort of scares me though."

Before either of them could say another word, Taylor came up, her pink skirt seeming oddly out of place with her green raincoat. She was limping badly; she had gotten a piece of coral in her foot earlier and was now using a stick for support. " I was wondering, have either of you see Eric since we got here? Daley, Lex and Nathan said they haven't seen him and I couldn't find his back pack anywhere. You guys don't think he maybe took off after Abby or something?" She stood there, obviously worried about her most frequent playmate/flunky.

" Surely not even Eric McGorrill is crazy enough to go out into a tropical monsoon ." Mel said with irritation. " He's mean, but not dumb." The lightning crashed , making all three of them cringe and jump.

Jackson shook his head and exhaled slowly, " No, he's not dumb, but he is really pissed off. And mad enough, stubborn enough and especially, embarrassed enough to do something like this. He wanted to put me in my place and it exploded in his face. Dammit, this is the exact sort of reason I didn't tell you guys about my past."

" You're not responsible for him being an idiot Jackson, " Mel said firmly, " he's acing like a spoiled child, pouting because he didn't get his way! If he wants to run around in this storm, let him." her arms angrily in front She crossed her arms angrily in front of her chest as the winds whipped around them. She obviously blamed Eric somehow for her own disappointments this day and acting like this definitely wasn't like Mel.

" Somebody has to find him! I mean, we can't just let him die out there!" Taylor said frantically, " Jackson , would you please help find him? I would, but my foots hurt."

Mel sighed in resignation, " She's right. I'm mad at him, but I don't ant him killed in this storm. I'll go tell Nathan and Daley we're going to look for him." She took Taylor by the arm and helped her walk as they went to find Daley .

Jackson stared after them, then made up his mind.

_No, I need to have a one on one talk with Eric. We have to find a way to co-exist on this rock. But, if he gets in my face this time, he'll regret it. Now, if I can just find the moron before the main storm hits…_

Jackson headed off into the jungle at his top speed.

Two mikes away, Eric as lost. No, scratch that, he as , as he was shouting into the wind: " COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY FUCKING LOST IN THE MIDDLE OF FUCKING NOWHERE ON THIS FUCKING ISLAND! FUCK!FUCK! FUCK!" And then, he tripped and fell face first into the mud.

" Fuck." he said once again as he picked himself us , grimacing as he wiped the mud off on the front of his bright blue raincoat. The rain was steadily drizzling down now and the wind sounded almost like a freight train in his ears. He had thought that if he tried the trail they had made heading out towards where they had found Abby, that he might catch a clue as to which way she had gone, but in the dim light, he'd missed a turn somewhere and had blundered into the middle of the jungle.

" Damn, smooth goin Eric. You let Jackson slip through your fingers and got 'em all good and mad. At you. I shoulda let well enough alone." he mumbled to himself as he spun and plowed off at random into the wilds. The last two times, he had thought he had seen a trail and been proven wrong. This time, he planned on letting luck do the work for him.

And, he confessed to himself, part of why he was running was shame.

_Shit, I don't know why I got so worked up over him in the first place. I'd rather have him as leader than Daley any day of the week. Or even McHugh. He'd be great at a campout, but not here. It was more the stabbing thing, and at that, I just plain got it wrong. I thought Jackson had stabbed the guy, not that he was the one who nearly got stabbed. I was so busy trying to sneak out some info on him, I didn't pay attention to what I found. And as for the whole gay deal? WTF?! He's a good looking guy, he could have any girl he wants, Why want dudes? Weird._

All at once , the storm finally broke loose. In a triple blast of lightning, a low tree not sixty feet away exploded. Eric did the only smart thing he could. He turned and ran, just as the drizzle turned into sheets of rain.

" ERIC! ERIC! Where are You!?" Jackson called out for the fiftieth time since he had taken off on this fool's errand. _Damn, if I get killed out here hunting this manipulative little homophobe down, I swear, I'll come back and haunt his sorry ass. Damn, that lightning is getting wicked, _he thought as yet another tree got zapped by the wrath of the typhoon. The wind alone had sent one tree crashing down not a dozen yards from him , forcing him to come this way. The storm had been in full rage for ten minutes now. It was really getting bad; he would have no choice but to seek shelter soon and the thought of leaving even Eric out here was simply not palatable to him. And then, just as he was about to seek shelter, he literally stumbled over Eric's large feet. And Eric shot up from under the broken shell of a tree he had been huddled under and gave Jackson a very discomfiting hug.

" Dude, I've been shouting for hours , what took you so long?!" he said accusingly.

And fell to the ground as Jackson decked him with a hard left to the jaw.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Eric lay there on the ground stunned, rubbing at his throbbing jaw. Jackson stood over him, the flickering lightning giving him a suitably threatening appearance. Fortunately for Eric, he seemed to have decided the one punch as enough, for now.

" What was that for?!, " Eric demanded, well, whined actually. As he staggered back to his feet. Jackson didn't bother to try helping him. In fact, he looked like he might have been contemplating knocking him down again after Eric's complaint as aired. He stood up, putting his straw hat back on his head, trading glares with the bigger teen.

Who was completely unimpressed by Eric's mad face. " You know what that was for. I don't like being played by anyone. I should have done it the second you opened your mouth on the beach. Now," his face tightened with barely repressed disgust, " for some reason I can't quite understand, Taylor and Mel seem to care enough about you to want you rescued from death by stupidity in this storm. Consider your ass rescued. Now shut the hell up and follow me back to camp before we get fried, standing under these trees." And with that said, Jackson spun on his heels and strode back in the general direction of the camp, leaving a confused Eric standing in his wake.

Jackson got a half dozen yards ahead of Eric, pushing at the branched and vines that were in his path when he realized Eric was still standing there. Irritation warred with concern in him; briefly, and against his better judgment, concern won. H took a couple of steps back, absently wiping the rain from his face as he called out to the other young man." Are you coming or not Eric? I'm not waiting all night for you to make up your mind, man.."

Nothing. Eric still stood there, motionless. And then a flash of lightning illuminated his face. Jackson couldn't believe what he saw there.

Eric was crying.

Jackson walked silently back over to the smaller boy and stood directly in front of him. " Eric, I don't have the time or patience to sort all this out with you right here, in the middle of this storm. I shouldn't have hit you, but you damn well shouldn't have done what you did either. Let's put it all aside and get back to the others." That as about as far as his concern could stretch, for the storm was steadily worsening and if they didn't get moving, they re going to be pounded flat in a matter of minutes.

Eric held his hands up in a odd gesture. " Why? Why should I go back? I tried to punk you and Lex out and it all went wrong. Now, everyone there knows I'm a liar and a jerk."

A sliver of anger make Jackson say what he did next: " Dude, we all knew you were a liar and a jerk before now. What you tried to pull just confirmed it. But, " he sighed, " we'll get over it. Now, can we please get going?" he waited for a response, as the storm swirled around them.

" I'm scared Jackson, " Eric slumped his shoulders and finally let the truth out, " I've been scared ever since we crashed here. None of the others really like me and I'm man enough to admit it's mainly my fault. If there was a single one of her clique here, Taylor wouldn't even speak to me. Lex and I can't stand each other. And, I'm kinda , well, " unaccountable, he seemed embarrassed, afraid to go on.

" What?" Jackson asked, his curiosity aroused, " Go on, say it." he encouraged him, hoping to speed this up as rain splattered on.

" I'm scared of you, all right. You fucking intimidate me. And I'm jealous. Mel's crazy about you and she barely knows you. Taylor, she thinks you're good looking and even Daley stares at you once in a while. And they wouldn't throw water on me if I was on fire." He had his hands jammed into his blue raincoat pockets as he spoke, nervously pacing.

_And that's the reason you messed with me like this?! _Jackson though. He started to punch the other guy again, then he suddenly thought back to his days at Chavez. About how he had actually been on the small side compared to most of his friends, like Eric. And how he had been intimidated by many of the people there; he just hadn't let it bother him like Eric seemed to have. And a wry smile crossed his face at the news of how attractive the girls seemed to think her was.

Eric went on: " And I hate it here, not knowing what's gonna happen next. And I need to be home, to try to keep my parents from killing each other without me there to play referee. If I'm here long, they'll tear each other .apart. Believe it or not, I feel bad for you too." he added in a surprising twist from his tale of woe."

" Really?" Jackson said skeptically, " And what are you feeling bad for me for, because the cops are after me, because I managed to hurt Mel, or because I'll never know the joys of being heterosexual?" disbelief in his every word.

Eric stepped back slightly at the tone in Jackson's voice. Then, he tried his best to project his sincerity into his voice as he spoke to the man who he had tried so badly to harm, " Because you need to be with your mom right now too, from what you said. I'm a jerk Jackson. I deserved a lot worse than a punch. I'm alone and scared and jealous and I'm sorry. I had no right to do that to you. But, what or who you like to sleep with really didn't have anything to do with it. I just don't get the whole gay thing, but it qas more I was afraid you some sort of gangster or junkie or something." He didn't expect Jackson's reaction to that.

He fought to keep a straight face, but a bubble of slightly harsh laughter forced it's way out, " You thing I'm a junkie?! You fucking idiot, if I as a junkie, I'd have wigged out on all of you already. And yeah, I ran with a gang for a few months, but I didn't last long in it because I won't hurt people unless I have a really good reason. Like lying on me, " he added pointedly as Eric rubbed his jaw, a bruise plain on it. He couldn't help but grin, " Man, I guess all of this shit boils down to your basic failure to communicate. If I had been honest and you had been honest, this nightmare wouldn't have happened."

Seeing he was safe from immediate annihilation, Eric's sense of humor resurfaced: " Well, maybe I'm not the only jerk on this island after all." He flinched as Jackson put a large fist up to his face.

Which he then opened into a hand, which he extended in friendship, " We both let our on issues make even worse ones. Let's try this again. I'm Jackson, I love Samoan rap, ice hockey and by the way, I'm gay."

Eric took the hand gratefully. " Hi. I'm Eric and I tell jokes and prank people just for the hell of it. And as for the being gay, don't ask me out on a date." he did a double take at Jackson's expression. " What?"

Jackson snorted, " You Hartwell men have a inflated opinion of your looks. Nathan said almost the exact same thing to me earlier."

" Really? Personally , I think you two would look cute together." Eric drawled. Then smiled.

This time, when the fist hit his jaw, it was a relatively easy blow, delivered by someone who just might have become a friend, instead of an enemy.

Seconds later, they took off towards the dubious shelter of the camp.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

" Thank God we weighed the other tent down or we would be down to just one tent for all seven of us, " Mel said as Jackson delivered the good news to them.

" Eww, it's already like an estrogen dungeon in there. I don't know what I would do if we had to add Eric and Lex's musk to the mix." Taylor said from where she was perched on a box. The last minute precautions Jackson and Mel had taken were all that had prevented the storm from completely destroying their camp. The food supplies had been pretty much wiped out and their clothes that hadn't been dried before the storm hit were scattered all over the landscape, but it could have been much, much worse.

" Hey, I keep as clean as you do!' Lex said in protest as he walked by with a armful of wet clothes clenched in his grip. His brown shoes squelched faintly on the damp ground as he walked over and handed them to Daley, who was sorting them.

" Thanks, just what I wanted, to be the laundry woman on a deserted island ." she grumbled as she worked. As she did, she noticed Jackson walking by, a load of wet wood in his hands. He walked over to here he and Nathan had made a drying rack for it and deposited it there. " Hey, Jackson, not that I'm complaining, but did you ever decide on a punishment yet?"

" Daley, you're so mean sometimes," Mel exclaimed angrily. She pushed her loose hair out of her face as she traded looks with the formidable red haired young woman." Can't you let us finish repairing the camp before you get started?" she pleaded.

" Hey, I like you Jackson, " she said, giving a glance at Mel even as she turned her attention to the tall teen, ho had stopped working and had his hands on his hips, is cross glittering in the sunlight off the neck of his dark blue shirt, " and the whole sexuality thing isn't an issue, but Lex got caught up in yours and Eric's feud and I don't appreciate that. I didn't like being lied to either, even if it was a lie of omission."

Taylor : " Huh?"

Nathan walked up behind Taylor and explained, " She means Jackson didn't tell it all to us upfront like he should have." He turned to look at Jackson, his red checked shirt swirling as he did, " " I haven't got a problem with you being gay; you should have told us about the other situation though."

"I thought we already had this discussion and settled it all yesterday!" Mel said with genuine heat in her contralto voice." why are you bringing it all back up?" she asked Daley accusingly.

" Because it's time for him to decide on his punishment, like he said he would do. If he's really a man of his word like most of you think he is, then he'll do it now. How about it Jackson?" she looked at him almost challengingly , her red shirt seeming to fit the faint flush on her checks as she stood and wiped her hands on her tan shorts.

Jackson looked at her steadily for a full minute. All conversation stopped and there was an undeniable air of tension, of foreboding. He let his breath out noisily and spoke, " Fine. As my punishment, I resign as leader effective immediately. And I nominate Nathan as the new leader."

Instant pandemonium.

" Chief, no! You can't let that her force you into letting someone else take over!" Eric expostulated energetically, his first words since seeing the storms damage earlier this morning. Apparently, he had had a lot going through his mind, but this new broke through his apathy.

" Jackson, no! Don't let her bully you like she does everyone else!" Mel stood to her feet in anger; by rights, her look should have incinerated Daley Marin.

Even Lex was outraged, " We elected you! You can't just resign. Daley, I don't want it to be like this, it's all wrong." he glared angrily at his stepsister , who seemed shocked at the outburst her comment had caused.

" I don't want to become leader like this. It's not fair to anyone else if it's just handed to me." Nathan said reasonable. " Jackson, you don't have to go this far."

" Yes I do. I never really wanted to be leader in the first place. And I have enough personal issues that it's a distraction when I do have to make a decision. And I have to do it all alone so all the fault is mine when it goes wrong. It's tough to handle like it is. Daley can handle the drama better than I can, " he bestowed a faint smile on Daley, who as flustered b the left handed compliment, " And Nathan has the desire to lead." He grew silent, uncertain as to what to say.

Lex said a single word: "Democracy."

They looked at him as though he had just announced that 2 plus 2 equaled purple.

Except for Daley. " What do your mean Lex?"

The ten year old expostulated: " Jackson is right. We voted to make him leader, but what we did was make him a absolute ruler, like a king, or a dictator. He had all the power. And all the responsibility too and that was too much."

Jackson came over an put his hands gently on Lex's shoulders as he stood behind the boy. " He's right. I felt like at any given moment, I'd lead us right off a cliff. I couldn't help but worry about the decisions until it got to where I was afraid to make any."

Daley walked over to him and reached out to touch his forearm, " I'm sorry Jackson. I got so carried away with keeping Lex safe, I didn't realize how isolated you had gotten, much less all of the reasons. Me and you barely even speak to each other. I'm sorry."

He acknowledged it with a smile. " We never had a chance to get to talk. Mel and Lex have always been the ones who reached out to me. And it's my fault too. I was so worried about my past and the struggle to keep things together here, I didn't reach out myself. "

" That's all sweet and everything, but what do we do now? Is there a leader or not?" Taylor spoke out from he perch, her pink blouse a startling counterpoint to the trees behind her. The salt of the ocean could be smelled plainly as the winds began to rise slowly.

" Maybe what we should do is try to spread the burden out some." Daley said, a thoughtful expression on her face. " How about we have a election for leader and whoever gets it makes the day to day decisions themselves, but the big issues, like making a shelter or any really big issues or plan on how to get help or rescued, we all vote and the majority wins." She looked around and seemed to see consensus there.

A half hour later, it was official. Daley won,but not four to three. Taylor and Eric had voted for Jackson, despite his protests, Lex and Jackson had voted for Nathan and the rest had voted for Daley. It was a strange split, but Daley had won.

After they had split up, Mel came over to Jackson. " I hope you're not mad that I didn't vote for you I knew you really wanted to resign."

Jackson breathed a sigh of relief, " I was afraid you didn't because you were mad at me."

Mel looked at him like he was crazy, " Why should I be mad at you now? . I'm over that." and then, she reached up and kissed his cheek.

She walked away without another word.

Eric walked over to him, a odd look on his face, " Dude, apparently Mel either doesn't believe you're gay or she has a thing for gay guys."

Jackson looked at Mel's departing form with concern on his face. " I need to talk to her. No." He took off after her.

He didn't notice the look Eric gave him as he walked away, staring at his back until the jungle swallowed him up.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

**Jackson finally caught up to Mel on the beach, near where they had places rocks with the word " HELP" spelled out four days ago. She was walking along, her sandals in her hands as she beach combed the area. Her jet black hair was in two plaits don her neck, reaching to her shoulder blades as the bright sunlight shone down on her. The sky had only a smattering of small, fluffy white clouds in it and all seemed right with the world.**

**Until he noticed the tears sliding gently don her tanned face. He took his own shoes off and placed them on a larger rock as he hastened after her silently. It took him ten seconds to catch p to her and he must have been noisier than he thought because she didn't seem startled in the slightest when he called her name out and touched her shoulder.**

" **Mel, are you ok?" he asked, hating the stupidity of the question even as it escaped from his mouth. **

**She stopped and turned into him. " No, I'm not. I've tried to lie and say I am, but I'm not." She stood there, broken in spirit if not in body. Jackson slowly and uncertainly opened his arms, unsure of the reaction he would receive, but , to his satisfaction, she stepped into his embrace. **

**He finally felt like he had to speak. " I'm sorry if I hurt you by not confessing the truth to you earlier Mel. I truly am. You've been the only friend here I have, ell, except for Lex , of course. But he's a kid. I hope you can forgive me." He hugged her tightly , then slowly released her.**

" **Oh, I'll forgive you if you'll forgive me too." she said, wiping the tears away, a faint smile on her heart shaped face no. " I've been focusing so much on you to help keep from obsessing over home. What I didn't realize was that I was practically stalking you." she said.**

**He protested, " I wouldn't exactly have called it stalking me." **

**She cocked an eyebrow at him, " I thought we were being honest with one another now Jackson., " she said, a definite twinkle in her eyes, " admit it, I was getting clingy."**

" **Like Saran Wrap, to be honest, " he said deadpan. Then gave her the broadest grin she had ever seen on his usually pensive face. And there was a definite tinkle in his blue eyes now, as well." but at least it kept my mind off of home too."**

**They walked on in a companionable silence for a fe minutes before she stopped and stated in a matter of fact tone. " e're still going to be good friends. I don't care ho you are attracted to; that's your business. I don't ant to lose you as a friend ."**

" **That's how I feel too. I don't have many, but I'd be glad to have you as one if you'll have me. And accept that I'm gay. Not bi. Not "confused" I'm gay. And I have to learn to accept it and I really, really need you to accept it Mel. I don't want to fuck our friendship up with a mistake. Like mistaking friendship for something else." He sighed, glad to finally say it, but uncertain of her reaction.**

**He had underestimated her, he realized a moment later as she laughed heartily at him." Jackson, I'm not obsessed enough over you to ant to sleep with you, for God's sakes. I'm not a slut! And I was worried about you thinking I was a stalker and you thought I was gonna jump your bones. Jerk!" She punched him lightly in the ribs.**

**They turned and walked companionably back to the camp.**

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**It was two in the morning. He had laid there in the ten for three hours, completely awake. One of the others was gone as well, probably to the latrine or to the fire, which Daley, insomniac as usual, sat in front of . He slipped unseen from the tent and went off to the edge of the jungle to handle business.**

**********************************************************************************************************************************

**He gasped, the sensations flooding his body as the orgasm shot through him. He sighed, almost loosing his footing as he went limp, in more than one way. For a half minute, all was silent, save harsh breathing and the sound of flesh rubbing on leaves. He cursed silently. And sighed again as the image that he had had at the climax came unbidden to his mind again.**

" **Why **_**him**_**? Why am I attracted to **_**him**_**?" he said as he went to the beach to soak his hands.**

**He had been unaware of being watched the entire time with disapproval.**

**Author Here: Sorry for the short chapter. I've been under the weather the last day or so and I'm still having computer issues. Thanks for all the reviews. Suggestions are always appreciated.**


	7. Chapter 7

**[**

**Chapter Seven**

**He had finished cleaning up and was headed back to the tent when an unexpected voice coming from the shadows nearly made him scream.**

" **Is it too much to ask that the next time you have the overpowering need to masturbate, that you at least go to the latrine to do it?" asked the youngest member of their group and the absolute last person he even wanted to think about knowing what he had been doing. " It's bad enough having to shout when you go there at night , without Eric ranting for having his "alone time" disturbed. Lex sighed at Jackson, " If this is what puberty does to guys, making them fall in lust with themselves, then I'm glad I still have a ways to go." And with that said, he went and got back in the tent.**

_**Thank God in Heaven I didn't say Eric's name out loud! **_**Jackson thought to himself as he slowly walked the rest of the way to the tent. **_**I have got to get over this shit; I made the mistake of mixing friendship with sex once before. Never again. **_**He went into the tent and lay down, at last relieved enough to be able to sleep. He was unaware of a pain of eyes drilling into his back as he slowly drifted off to sleep.**

**The next two days went by relatively easily for the seven castaways. The change in leadership had brought a new energy to the group, at least. Jackson realized after it had happened just how much time he had spent, obsessing over every move each of them made when he had been leader. The lifting of that burden, combined with the ability to not have to watch his every single word had brightened his countenance considerably. Lex had been treating him with the exact same mix of friendship and affection as before, acting as if he had seen nothing. And he had taken to actually trading at least one joke or comment every few hours with Daley, Nathan and Taylor, whom he realized he had all but ignored the first week there. Al in all, the group had seemed to be finally coming together.**

**And then, of course, it all went straight to hell when Eric pulled yet another boneheaded move. This time, he had accidentally broken the last working lighter. The issue was the fact that he had purposely hidden it first. And for the first time since giving his role of leader up, Jackson was regretting it.**

**Daley had been haranguing Eric for over an hour now. She had started off reasonably enough, saying that there should be consequences for Eric's actions, both his shirking the water detail and for the destruction of the lighter. That was all right, even a supportable argument. It was when she said he needed to be punished and that rues needed t be put into place , that Jackson's instincts had rebelled Despite not wishing to show his mixed feelings he had inexplicably developed towards Eric, he felt someone had to stand up for him.**

" **Daley, what are you wanting to do, set up laws here? Isn't that going a little too far?" Jackson asked, a firm , set look to his face as he stared down at the red haired young woman.**

" **Yeah, what are you gonna do?, " Eric said sarcastically as he leaned back in the pane seat in the sand, " Have Junior here design a jungle jail for me? Whoo!" He waved his hands in the air , a mock expression of horror on his gamine face. His slightly troubled haze eyes belied his overconfident expression. **

_**Arrogant idiot; he'll never admit what he did was shit for brains stupid. And all he's doing is pissing Daley off even more, **_**Jackson thought, suddenly disgusted with the whole deal. But he had a point to make as well. " Eric was an idiot for doing what he did. That's undeniable." He chose not to acknowledge the glare Eric gave him as he said that, " But, the chores haven't been rotated in days. I would have gladly lugged water for a day or to if I had know something like this would happen. But the group, " he waved his hands in an encompassing motion, " has let it slide. We didn't keep out word. It's not fair for someone to be stuck with just one job all the time. I don't really like cutting the wood all the time, Taylor hates cleaning the campsite, Nathan despises filling the latrine up every evening and I'm sure Me's ready to hit the next person that gripes about ho she cooks fish. E need to swap the chores up some."**

**Eric jumped to his feet, his blue shirt billowing around him, his hat cocked as he agreed, " Yeah! That's my point! I did everything but beg someone, anyone to help me . I'll admit, Lex is too little to fetch the water, " he turned a brief look at Lex: he looked disgusted at the whole dramatic ordeal, " but there's no reason I can't do something other that lug water from that damn well" he drew in a deep breath and exclaimed in a surprisingly humble tone:" I fucked up. I was lazy. I didn't mean for the lighter to get broken and yeah, it wouldn't have if I had just done what I was supposed to do. But guys, I'm going nuts here. I can't sleep. Al the time you guys think I'm asleep, I'm trying to figure a way of getting off this damn island It's all I think abut, every day. And every day I'm stuck here, my parents are a day closer to killing each other. Both of them probably blame the other for letting me go and I can't get back. I can't save their marriage, I can't save myself. I'm just fucking useless, like all of you think, especially you Daley." And with that, he turned and swiftly walked off into the woods, leaving them standing there, stunned at his atypical outburst.**

**Daley started to stalk off after him; it was obvious she thought it was all a ploy for sympathy. A strong hand stopped her before she took more than a single step. Jackson locked eyes with her as she pulled free. **

"**Don't. You're the last person he needs to go after him. You two can't be civil to each other for five minutes. I'll go." And with that, he stepped off the platform and took off after Eric.**

**********************************************************************************************************************************

**It took Jackson almost a half hour to finally catch up to Eric. The smaller teen had a decided advantage over Jackson when it came t navigating between the bushes and brambles in the jungle. His slimmer frame could go here Jackson's thirty pound heavier frame simply couldn't. Obviously, Eric hadn't wanted to be followed. Too bad.**

**The cinnamon haired youth had finally came to a stop in one of the many small clearings around the camp, not very far from the hill Mel and Taylor had once managed to fall off of. Eric was propped against a tree trunk, His head down, tears visible on his face. He seemed to be breathing heavily, but not actually crying, just very emotional. Jackson walked over to him, deliberately making more noise than he had to, to give Eric a chance to compose himself.**

"**Are you ok?" he asked as he stood over the other young man. He nervously out his hands in his black camo pants pockets as he looked don at Eric, his cross touching the neck of his black tee shirt.**

" **That's a rhetorical question isn't it Jackson?" Eric snapped back as he wiped his eyes with the back of a medium sized hand. " Come to gloat, to see how I like being on the receiving end of an interrogation, like they put you through?" He asked acerbically.**

" **Actually, going through the deal I did made my life here a lot easier to deal with, for the most part. But the reason I came was because I was worried about you. I kinda know what it's like to be out on an island, all alone. The only one of your kind. Seems like you have an idea about that too."**

**Eric slowly rose to his feet. He looked at Jackson with uncertainty." I don't get it. Why don't you just say what ever it is you have to say man. I 'm not in the mood for cryptic right now." He flinched as Jackson took a step forward, an intent look on his face.**

**And the reaction took Jackson off guard, " Dude, I wasn't gonna , I wasn't even thinking about hitting you… You're that scared of me , aren't you?" He sounded incredulous. **_**I'm an idiot. Someone, at some time, has beat his ass down . Hard. **_**An unbidden knot of sympathy rose in him for the other teen **_**Let it lay for now, it's better to just try to talk, to get him to speak at all.**_

" **Eric, I want off this island to. Any you know what I get to look forward too: juvie. And not knowing when I'll ever get to see my mom again. And my dad's been dead for barely a year. At least your parents are alive man. You have to think about it like that. You'll drive yourself crazy if you keep obsessing over it."**

" **I don't have anything else t do. I don't have a single real friend here; I admit, that's my own fault. I have a comment for every occasion. I love to joke and pull pranks. ButI as a loser at Hartwell and I'm one here. Hell, you're the new guy. The gay guy. And you still get more respect than they ever thought about showing me." He sounded so very bitter.**

**For the first time, Jackson let a bit of temper show: " I earned their respect Eric. And I show them as much respect as they show me. You almost never show respect or gratitude. You were decent to Mel for what, 20 hours, tops, after she saved your life. Then you pranked her. And Don't get me started on our deal. I forgave you, but I haven't forgotten." **

**Eric looked at the ground, then the sky, anywhere but Jackson . " I apologized for that man. I thought we were past it."**

" **We are, " Jackson sighed, " I just don't know what you have rambling in that head of yours Eric. Look, if you could do anything, try any of your plans to get help, what would you do?" he asked unexpectedly.**

**Eric looked startled at the question, at first. But then, when he realized Jackson as genuinely asking him, nt testing him in some ay, he grew thoughtful. He paced back and forth for a few moments while Jackson studied him. Finally, he looked at the taller youth and spoke. " I'd go to the west side of the island to look for help. The other's went north and as near as we can figure, Abby came back from that ay, so the best is a mystery. But I can't go alone and as sure as the sun rises and shit stinks, Daley would call for a vote to stop me from using any of the supplies if I went on my own."**

**Jackson looked at him and shook his head, his fading highlights bobbing, " You're right. She would. And it'd be a good thing, because, frankly, I can't see you lasting long without help."**

" **And so I'm stuck here , dreaming ." Eric said, disgust in his baritone voice.**

" **Yeah, until tomorrow." Jackson said in agreement.**

" **What happens tomorrow?" Eric asked, confused.**

**Jackson leaned in so close Eric could smell his body. It actually had a nice scent, he thought absently as Jackson spoke to him, " Tomorrow, me and you take off. And if we go without telling them we're planning on it, they won't have time to try tocome up with a reason for us not to. Sound good?"**

" **Hell Yeah!" Eric said, shocking Jackson with a bear hug. " Man, thanks Jackson."**

" **Cody." he said.**

" **What?" Eric said, **

" **If we're going to be alone risking our lives, putting trust in each other, then it's Cody . I prefer Jackson, but really good friends get call me Cody. " he said. **

" **Well, Cody, you can call me whatever you want as long as we try to actually do something about getting ff this island!" Eric said excitedly.**

" **Ok, jackass, then let's do some planning before we go back to the others. Ok jackass?"**

**Eric brayed in agreement.**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

They took the time to leave a note, explaining hat they ere doing and why, then left, a half hour before daylight. The had been going for over four hours before Eric finally asked Jackson for a break. The smaller young man was drenched with sweat, his backpack feeling like it had gained a thousand pounds since their departure from the others. Jackson had surrendered to the request with surprisingly poor grace.

" Fine. We'll take a half hour, but e haven't gotten more than three miles from the others Eric. You have to pick up the pace some, because I'm not babying you on this trip. If I have to start already, then e may as ell turn around and go back now." They older youth slung hi backpack to the sugar white sand with a disgusted look on his lean face, the sun briefly lighting up his fading highlights on his otherwise dark brown hair. He sat on the sand with a barely suppressed sigh as Eric dropped his belongings on the back and promptly plopped onto his back in the sand , rather dramatically, Jackson thought.

Eric sat up long enough to take his white and pale blue button up shirt off, then he took the gray t shirt off as ell, then laid back on them. He was still for a fe moments, staring up at the sky, bright blue with a handful of small white fluffy clouds in in. A very welcome breeze was blowing in from the Pacific Ocean , giving some relief to the two teenagers as they rested.

" How come I've never seen you with your shirt off in the hat, three weeks , since we crashed here Chief?" Eric asked idly, his hat off for once, as he rolled onto his side and looked at his companion. Jackson was sitting propped on his camouflage colored backpack. And as usual, he looked slightly uncomfortable. Stiff. He seemed to never completely relax.

" Because of Nathan, mainly." as the odd answer.

" Nathan? Why would you care if Nathan saw your body? Unless, you're attracted to him or something?" Eric let his voice trail off theatrically, wiggling his eyebrows in a suggestive way to Jackson. Fortunately, the sniggering noise he made showed that he wasn't being serious.

Jackson threw a handful of sand at him with a smirk as it went right on the exposed chest of the slim teen. " No, dumb ass. It's because of this. " ANd then, he did something he hadn't done since before landing on the misbegotten island as he pulled the black t shirt off and looked don at his left shoulder, here a small tribal tattoo was located. " That's why. I figured Nathan would recognized it, or at least figure out it as a gang tat. "

"You were in a gang?! " Eric gurgled, obviously surprised, hich confused Jackson .

" Eric, how did you think I would have been involved in a stabbing , knowing I ran with a mostly Samoan crowd? Of course I as in a gang, for a while. After I got put in foster care, I had to get away from it. That's why they were so willing to try to hurt me; they thought I had turned my back on them. Which, I kinda did, but , I don't know, it's so damn complicated." He had a tired, forlorn look on his face as he started to put the shirt back on.

" Dude, I could care less what you did then and it's freaking like 105 degrees out here. You don't have to cover up on my account. " Eric said reasonably.

Jackson looked at him for a moment, then looked at the shirt. He snorted faintly and put the shirt under his head. Then, for good measure, he kicked his shoes and socks off and , for a time, followed Eric's lead and simply relaxed, falling asleep as he heard the eternal sounds of the aves meeting the shore.

He never realized Eric had not went to sleep. That he had watched him the entire time, a strange and mysterious look on his face as he watched the troubled youth slumber, at ease, for once.

Three and a half miles aay, there as precios little peace to be had. The five ho had been left behind had each reacted to the disappearance of Jackson and Eric in different ways.

Daley seemed to regard it as a statement on her ability to lead.

Nathan was actually slightly insulted to have not been asked to go with them.

Taylor was of the firm opinion that they would " wander the island for the rest of their lives while rescue never came." Plus , her " monthly visitor " had arrived, to the terror of the rest of the group. Her temper, never even, had become a thing to be feared now.

Melissa had felt insulted, then, a strange calmness had overtaken her anger. She was no convinced that if anyone could find help, or least reunited them ith the missing others, it would be Jackson. She had said nothing about Eric, a fact which hadn't gone unnoticed.

Lex alone had simply commented: " It's going to be even harder now, for all of us."

The letter had been succinct and to the point, typical of Jackson:

Guys,

This is something that has to be done. Abby may or may not be able to find the others. And there is no telling hat shape they may be in when or if she does. Eric is going stir crazy here; he feels like he can't contribute. Like his past is being held against him and that's something I can understand. So, we're going to go to the east and northeast part of the island. We'll try to be back in ten days, tops. If we haven't made it back by then, DO NOT come looking for us. All you'll do is risk the safety of the rest of you. Eric and I will be fine. You guys ere all kind to me, in light of my problems. I appreciate it more than you know. Daley, keep them organized. Lex, keep dreaming , little guy, because your dreams are the kind that help everyone else. . Mel, I'm sorry , this is one trip you don't need to make; you hold us together and they need you there. Taylor, Nathan, thanks for believing in me; I believe in you guys, too.

PS: Eric send his love."

Daley looked at the eastern end of the beach as Nathan put a hesitant hand on her shoulder. She reached up and put her hand over his for a moment before turning to him and speaking. " I wish they would have aited until e had the rest of the shelter up. But I can't really blame Eric, as much as I ant to. I push too hard sometimes, don't I Nathan?" She looked into his friendly coffee colored face, his bright bron eyes staring back at her.

" Yeah, sometimes you do, " he said, to her obvious dismay, which faded as he added, " But sometimes, we all need someone to push us. Eric needed it. Jackson's probably the only one here who can push him and he'll listen to. You've known Eric all your life; he knows you too well to be scared of you like he is Jackson. Same with me. Plus, it's just as well Eric went with him. Can you imagine us here without Jackson but with Eric? Yikes." He grinned at their worn out catchphrase as she finally smiled back.

They heard a faint voice raging in the background.

" ARRRHH!! I need a tampon ! Or a paper towel! Or a transfusion! ARRRHH!" Taylor could be heard a half mile away.

" So, when's you next, uh, "time?" Nathan asked with a chuckle." I hope it doesn't make your temper worse. It's almost as bad as Taylor's already.

He ent off rubbing his shoulder, gently touching the bruise Daley had put there a minute later, a grin still on his face.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

"Huh?' Jackson said, sitting upright quickly, instantly aware of a dull pain in his back from sleeping half propped like he had. Eric was standing there looking at him expectantly. What he expected, Jackson hadn't the slightest clue.

" Dude, did you hear me or not?" Eric asked, a half smile on his face. " I said, I'm hot and I want to swim for a few minutes. Do you want to go or not?" he asked, awaiting a reply. He was still in the same clothes he had been walking in, minus the shirt.

" I hope your not planning on going swimming in your pants Eric, "He said, shaking his head at the other teen. He climbed to his feet and stretched mightily. He felt a faint pop in his back and neck as he twisted. And yawned.

"Man, you were doing some snoring Chief, " Eric snickered, " I thought a you'd swallowed a fog horn or something. And no, I planned on changing into something a little less confining to swim in." He was fighting back a grin, although just what was so funny eluded Jackson at the moment. And then , his eyes grew wide as Eric turned his back to him and peeled out of his pants and boxers in a flash. He dropped them to the ground and began walking to the water without another word, his small, pale buttocks seeming to glow in the bright sunlight.

Jackson 's brain seemed to be incapable of thought, he had a sort of static in his head instead. And then, when his thought resumed, they ere so mixed up he didn't know which way was up.

_Whoa, nice ass. Damn, is he doing this to see how far I'll let it go? Or is this some kind of test; let's see if the fag will be able to keep his hands off me if I give him easy access? With Eric, you just can't assume anything. If you do, he almost always surprises you. _

He took a neutral route. He didn't make any comments nor follow Eric to the water. But he didn't avert his eyes until Eric was waist deep in the warm blue Pacific water.

" Chief, don't be a wuss! C'mon in, I trust you man!" Eric shouted out as he spun in the water, damping his surprisingly long hair. He floated there as he continued to call out. " Come on in, the waters fine Jackson!" He seemed at his happiest in the water, Jackson thought as he watched Eric go under, then erupt like a small dolphin, blowing water from his mouth.

" I don't have swim trunks and I'm not getting my one pair of shorts et and have to pack them wet, " he called back, his answer sounding weak, even to him. _Jesus, how the hell did I get myself into this situation?! Jackson, you gotta break this habit of being attracted to straight guys!_

" Man, we have the exact same equipment, " Eric called back, sounding reasonable enough, "mine may be bigger or smaller than yours. Dude, quit being stupid and cut loose for once." He dove under, ass exposed again as he flipped forwards. If he hadn't done that, Jackson might have gone in, but, the skin show as beginning to have an effect on him.

_Oh man, I sure as hell am not stripping naked and swimming in front of him with a boner! He'd either be disgusted or think it as hilarious. Or as vain as he can be, he might even take it as a compliment. _

" Man, I 'm just not up for it right now .Next break, maybe, " he temporized desperately. He put his hands in his pocket, hoping against hope Eric wouldn't notice or comment.

Eric gave him a disgusted look. " Fine. Be that way then. I'll be out in a few minutes. " And with that , he swam a bit further out, this time, keeping his back to Jackson.

_Well, I dodged that bullet. For now. Hmm, I better hit the bushes while I have some privacy. I didn't think this through before I took off. Man, I should have invited Nathan along; Eric wouldn't have pulled that stunt with him around. _He headed off in hunt of a convenient bush to kill.

_Man, I didn't mean to weird Jackson out. Maybe I should have kept my boxers on, but hey? He's gay and I trust him. How could I make that plainer than going native right in front of him? Unless, maybe he thought I was testing him? Nah. Cody's too smart to be that insecure. _Eric let his mind wander as he began a series of shallow dives. He'd loved playing in the ocean his entire life. Damn swimming pools, nothing beat feeling the power of the waves moving you. The sensation of an endless openness always made him relax like nothing else did. He as on his fifth consecutive dive hen it happened. Every muscle in his left leg and thigh seemed to burn and convulse in hot agony as a horrendous cramp hit him. He swallowed salty water as he doubled up in pain.

Jackson had finally made a concession to the sweltering, humid heat. He had changed into his camouflage short and had put his oldest, thinnest gray t shirt on. He went walking in the edge of the woods, gathering firewood. He noticed something in the dirt, near a coconut tree. It was a large set of footprints. It reminded him of a cat, for some reason. But far larger. _Could there be some sort of big feline on this island? There's a cheer thought. Better tell Eric about it, to be on the safe side, _he thought as he walked on, an uncomfortable feeling briefly slowing him before he relegated it to the back of his mind.

He had gathered enough wood for a small fire and was about to fish for their lunch when he realized he couldn't see Eric. He got up and looked around. He felt a cold clamp around his guts as he suddenly realized he couldn't see Eric anywhere.

He jumped up and ran to the beach and then, as if summoned, he saw Eric break the surface some fifty yards away. And from the frantic way he was flailing , it as plain he was in distress.

" Shit!" Jackson snapped as he kicked his shoes and socks off and plunged in after him. Less than a minute later, he as in arms reach of the thrashing Eric.

Who promptly clouted his jaw with a waving arms as he screamed in Jackson's ears, " Help me!" And then hit Jackson again, in the neck as his panic took command of his reason.

" Eric, calm down! I can't help if you keep moving. Just grab my neck, then I'll pull us in! TRUST ME!" he bellowed as loud as he could. And it had the hoped for effect. It broke Eric's panic long enough for him to fling his arms in a death grip around Jackson's neck.

_Damn, he's stronger than I though; he's almost choking me_. ": Eric, ease up some, I can't breath!" he shook Eric as he swam slowly towards the distant shore. Fortunately, Eric seemed to go still. And after a few more strokes, Jackson realized, Eric's grip was almost gone. And then, he felt the eight slip. Eric had passed out and went under!

He never remembered diving after Eric, but he did. He grabbed the smaller young man and drug him the surface. He went onto his back, rapped his legs around Eric's body, and backstroked his ay to the beach, one painful foot at a time.

He was exhausted by the time he got there but rest was not an option. He checked Eric's breathing. Nothing. Dimly remembered first aid courses came back to him as he hurried to help him, clearing his throat and giving him breaths, then sapping to compressions. Back and forth for three long minutes he went until, finally, Eric gagged , spitting foul water out of his lungs. Jackson helped the other teenager sit up until the illness passed, then, they both slumped onto the wet white sand, the hot sun beating their backs as they lay there exhausted.

Finally, Eric panted out, " Thanks man."

Jackson replied, " I wasn't gonna just let you drown. You deserve a sift kick in the ass for going that far out by yourself, but not drowning. Just think next time, ok. Damn, my lip feels like hell." And it as true. The blow Eric had struck across Jackson's face had bruised his lips and chin noticeably.

" I know something that can help that, " Eric said as he sat up, sand al over his nude form.

" What's that?" Jackson said as he raised his head up from the sand and saw Eric leaning over him, silhouetted in the sunlight, dark hair in his face.

" This." he said, in a surprisingly husky voice. And he leaned in and kissed Jackson, tenderly but firmly on his bruised lips, thrusting his tongue deep into Jackson's stunned, unresisting mouth.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

**Every nerve in Cody Jackson's taut body seemed to be on the verge of overload as Eric kissed him with surprising power and passion behind it. He felt the smaller teen's hand cupping his head, pulling their faces even closer together. He was are of the heat of Eric's nude form, the salt scent of the ocean water on him and of the faint stubble of his otherwise smooth face. A part of his wished that he could stay like this forever.**

**A tiny part of him seemed to die as he put a large , strong hand on Eric's bare chest and firmly shoved him back. " No. " he said, his voice faint and weak. " No." **

**Eric sat back on his ass in the moist sad, a confused look on his face, the proof of his arousal plainly visible. " But , Why?" he asked in a confused voice. His greenish blue eyes had a sad aspect to them as he awaited a response from Jackson.**

**Who was desperately trying to will a rock hard erection away at the same time he struggled to explain to Eric why he couldn't do this. Not here, not now. He sighed, reaching a hesitant hand out to touch Eric's bare knee. " I can't. I can't make this kind of mistake. Not with you. It's not fair to me and it's sure not fair to you. You're not gay Eric. What you feel I gratitude. "**

" **And how do you know what I feel Jackson?" Eric said heatedly. " You don't know me all that well. So tell me, can you read minds now?' He stood up, heedless of the fact that he as naked. Or, more properly, too mad to care suddenly. He exploded into a manic rant.**

" **Dude, I knew something like this would happen between us on this trip. I knew , sooner or later, you'd get a look at me undressed. I even thought you'd fall all over yourself apologizing, but damn you. It's not gratitude. All I've thought about for nights now is you. I knew when Lex caught you jerking off. And, you know what, " he flushed beet red, all over, his mouth still moving, but no sound coming out as he seemed to be fighting to say something of huge importance to him.**

" **What?!' Jackson said, getting mad himself no. " What fucking smart comment do you have to make ?!" He hopped up, fist balled, ready to beat Eric down, right then, right there.**

" **I jerked off thinking about you! I'm fucking obsessed with you! And if I'm not fucking good enough for you, then the hell with you. I was wrong about you, you're just like the rest of them. " He turned and began striding towards the camp, the wet sand spraying under his bare feet.**

**And got the shock of his young life when , after going perhaps ten yards, Jackson spun him around, drew back an fist and , **

**Pulled him to him with every fiber of strength in his body and kissed him as Eric had him earlier. Passionately, with no hesitation this time. He had both hands around Eric's neck and shoulders and he held onto him as if he were the one drowning now. And after a moment, Eric began kissing him back, his emotions whipsawed between rage and desire. And he made his feeling s abundantly clear with his next move.**

**Cody gasped as a hand dove into his shorts, sliding under his tight boxer briefs. For only the fourth time in his life, another hand than his own gripped his achingly hard, hot penis. Eric stroked the rigid flesh hard, his hand sliding up and down even as he shameless ground his own phallus on Jackson's leg and thigh. Jackson moaned under the pleasurable onslaught, then released a hand and gripped Eric' cock, stroking it as his own was stroked. **

**Eric's hand withdrew, to begin plucking at Jackson's shorts. It was plain what he wanted; them off. Jackson allowed Eric to do it as he used his right hand to rip his shirt off. His left as fully occupied with Eric's penis. Finally, he was as bare as Eric. He embraced him, his hands and Eric's roaming freely over each others body, anger replaced by lust, at least. By love, at best.**

**Eric finally spoke, gruffly, " Let's get to camp. We can't do it here, on et sand. Still kissing , they fumbled their ay to camp. Once there, Eric ripped the sleeping bags out from the clutter, slinging them don onto the ground and then clinching again with Jackson, before guiding him don to the bags.**

" **I'm a virgin Chief. In every sense of the word. I know what I want to do, but I don't want to talk about it. I just want to do it. Is that ok with you?". Eric asked, a serious look on his face.**

**It scared Jackson, the way his heart jumped when he realized they ere really going through with this. But there was no turning back now. **_**If I back out now, I might as well just give up on him; we'll be enemies. And I've been dreaming about this for over a week now. **_**" Ok. But I swear, one comment like "this is a one time deal", and I'll rip this, " he gripped the head of Eric's seven inch phallus tight, "off." he gave it a warning tug and was both astounded and appalled at the sheer lust the action seemed to bring to Eric.**

**Who promptly shoved Jackson onto his back and darted down, grabbing Jackson's slightly larger penis and began licking at the hot flesh as Jackson's eyes closed in sheer delight. He ran a tongue up and down, then teased the slit, causing Jackson's hips to buck and him to draw a deep breath in. Then, Eric wrapped his lips around the other teen's cock and began to suck Jackson in earnest, his lips compressing up and don as he slid them on the shaft, his tongue swirling and his hands cupping Jackson's testicles tightly.**

_**I can't let him do it all, **_**Jackson thought. And he put action to tough, laying so they were in a almost classical sixty nine position. He grabbed Eric's dick and wrapped his lips around it, ignoring the small fluid built up on it. For several minute, they sucked on each other. Each was determined to get the other off and eventually, it had to happen. Jackson's greater experience told as Eric finally could take no more. He gasped a warning to Jackson , ho sucked as hard as he could, his jaw and tongue aching with the effort. **

" **Cody, I'm gonna cum! Ahh, shit." His penis pulsed four times, but Jackson held on, letting him void into his mouth without even thinking about doing otherwise. He swallowed without any sign of disgust, which made Eric feel strangely honored. And then determined to act in kind.**

**Which he did. And thee minutes later, he found out what it was like as Jackson cried out in a nova of orgiastic ecstasy. " Eric, you don't have to, " and Eric shut him up in a unique way, sending a long dry finger into Jackson's bottom, sending him over the edge completely. Five jets went into Eric's mouth. He downed it all, wanting nothing more than to recover quickly, for he as far from through with Jackson.**

**They lay back, Jackson's strong , tanned arms wrapped around Eric as they caught their breath. They both had content looks on their face as Eric turned and announced his intention to Jackson.**

" **As soon as we catch out breath, I'm hitting that." And he reached over and patted Cody's ass in an oddly possessive move. But one that made Jackson grin from ear to ear.**

" **Good thing I'm a bottom." he said as Eric burst out laughing. He looked at Jackson like he expected another joke to follow that comment up. Then, it finally seemed to sink in as Jackson raised his brownish blond eyebrows in a affirming way.**

" **YOU?! You **_**like **_**being the bottom! Man, I'd have picked you for a top in a heartbeat. Seriously?" he asked in disbelief. And then, a grin replaced the look of surprise.**

" **It surprised me too. I mean, I love topping, don't get me wrong. But, God, when I get it good and hard, it makes me go wild. I don't know. Being submissive turns me on sometimes. Sorry if it makes you sick." he said, suddenly abashed. He looked as if he regretted saying it.**

**Eric rushed to reassure him, putting a hand on Cody's face." No. Nothing you could do would disgust me. You like what you like. I don't have any right to say anything. As long as you're happy it yourself." He ruined the effect somewhat by snickering. " Man, a bottom. "**

" **Fuck you Eric." Jackson said, smacking Eric's head lightly, grinning.**

" **Oh, that's on the menu for later, but for right now, I want to find out just ho much bottoming turn you on!" And he flipped Jackson onto his back and hopped onto his flat stomach, his erection restored.**

**The to of them never suspected that a pair of non human eyes was watching them from thirty yards away as Eric prepared to surrender the last of his virginity to Jackson.**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"Oh My GOD!!" Jackson cried out as he sent a white spray that flew fully four feet from him as Eric pounded into him as hard as he could. " Oh man, that feel's so fucking good. " he sighed as he squeezed the last remains out, sweat on his chest as he sank down on all fours as Eric hit the point of no return himself. Keeping a promise he had made, he pulled out at the last possible instant, orgasming onto Jackson's bare butt , rather than into him. Eric's head leaned back, his breath escaping him in pleasurable gaps as the sweet sensations swept him away. He fell back onto his small ass, completely drained, in more ways than one.

Moments later, the two were in the process of cleaning up. Jackson had an unaccountably flustered air to him. He seemed to be in a permanent state of blushing; his face had a pinkish flush and his eyes were dilated slightly. As he struggled into his dark blue boxer briefs, he seemed to have trouble even looking in Eric's direction. But the exhaustion he felt as definitely pleasurable, he conceded to himself.

Eric, on the other hand, was very, very verbal as he pulled his own light green boxers on with a wince. " Dude, next time, you gotta try to keep those fingernails under control! My ass fell like you used sandpaper on it, my back too."

And it was true. In the grips of passion, Jackson had dug in and Eric's back had three foot long scratches on it, the bright scores incongruent on Eric's moderately tanned back. And there were matching ones under the thin cover of the boxers, as well. Jackson hung his head even lower, slipping his camo shorts on as Eric paused in his dressing to look at him.

" Dude, you had a good time. Don't be embarrassed; I promise, I'm not, " he said, a wide grin on his narrow face as he pulled his favorite red and blue shirt on. " I gotta admit, bottoming for you first wasn't a whole lotta fun, but it was damn sure worth it. I wouldn't have missed seeing you cut loose like that for anything! Man, you must have a super sensitive prostate!"

Jackson said nothing. Eric was telling the truth; he'd never cut loose like that in his life. He'd completely lost it from the moment Eric had finally penetrated him. He'd ground himself onto the smaller youth's penis like his life had depended on it and had rode it for a mind numbing hour. _I can't believe I had three orgasms before he ever got off once! My God, he must think I'm some kinda masochist or something! And I have to admit, he's the best I've ever had, the cocky asshole. Man, he'll never let me forget saying that too! _He finally finished dressing, a faint smile still playing around his lips as he looked at Eric. _Goddammit, I want to jump on him all over again!_

Eric suddenly exploded into laughter as he looked at Jackson, his own clothes finally on. " I'd bet anything you're wanting another round of McGorrill style lovin'! Admit it Cody, you can't get enough of this now!" And the abysmally arrogant young snot grabbed his crotch in a rude gesture , bucking his small hips with a caw of glee at the flustered Jackson. " I'm the best you ever had; that's what you yelled the first time ol ' Thnderbolt, " he patted his penis, "struck! You outta be good n dehydrated from blowing that much out. Man, am I good or what?!" He had the most sheerly salacious look on his face Jackson had ever seen in his life.

_Doomed. I may as well put ads the paper back home, " __**I got fucked by Eric McGorrill and had Multiple Orgasms!"**_ Jackson thought with numbing finality. Then walked over and scooped Eric up, body slamming his 135 pounds onto the dirt hard. " You tell a damn soul on this island what happened here and I swear I'll break your jaw. And you'll never touch me again. Understood?" He gave his most intimidating glare to Eric, who was getting up, holding his back as if it were about to break in half.

" Damn Chief, you're the one who likes it rough, not me! Man, you were mean to my spleen, unkind to my spine, made my liver quiver, "

" I'm gonna be a pain in your brain, " the big guy said, snatching Eric up by the collar and putting a fist to the bridge of his nose, " if you don't quit rhyming and gloating about how talented you are in the sex department. Now, " he dropped Eric and put his hands on his hip, " we really need to get moving. I want to get at least a couple more hours in, then , we'll find a place to stay the night." He looked calmly and expectantly at Eric, who finally quit with "Operation : Aggrivation " long enough to shake his head in agreement.

" All right. You're the boss. Just don't attack me again, " he said, fighting a grin. _Man, he fucks like a damn champ! And he's a bottom! Man, I plan on getting a hernia before this time tomorrow. Better tone it down some though, that slam hurt. And even though we're fuckbuddies now, I still don't want to get him pissed at me for no good reason. Unlike the others, Cody may actually give a damn about me. I need to remember that. And respect it._

Adjusting his hat ever so fractionally, the slender young man reached don and scooped his black backpack up, slinging it around his right shoulder. For some reason, Jackson looked at him slightly quizzically at that. " What?", Eric asked.

" You use your left hand to write, but your right hand for lifting things. You're ambidextrous , aren't you?" he inquired in genuine curiosity, blue eyes narrowing slightly as he focused on Eric's face. I wish I was like that, to be honest. I'm a southpaw, a leftie. And they don't make a whole lot of things for left handed people. Like this backpack." He jerked a thumb at the rather cheap object in question. " It's makes it a bitch to carry sometimes."

They started walking on . After just a few steps, Jackson turned and asked as he walked backward, " Say, have you noticed any big footprints, like a cats' sort of . I saw a few when I took a bathroom break before we, you know, got started." This time, he merely winced, instead of blushed, as he said it .

" If it embarrasses you to say it, maybe we won't do it again, " Eric said curtly, showing a straight face at the highly unlikely to be carried out threat. " Do you regret what we did, now that you busted a few nuts?" Eric stopped in his track, serious for a change. And if someone had looked into his eyes, they would have noticed a sliver of fear as well.

Jackson answered as honestly as he ever had in his life:" I don't regret it. I just get embarrassed about how wild I get." he let out a breath, quirking his eyes in the odd way he sometimes did. " I enjoyed it, you did, and we'll do it again, if you can just quit making all the comments about it. I feel like a slut when you do that." He scuffed his black shoes on the ground as he stood there, having stopped when Eric had asked the question.

" Cody, you shouldn't feel that way. If it make you cut loose when we do it, then cut loose. It's nobody's business, not even mine. Chief, you gotta start enjoying life. I know you'll have it rough back home. So why not live for the here and now? Who knows, you might even learn to like it." He was being serious. There was sincerity in his baritone voice and a oddly serene expression on his tanned face as he awaited a reply.

Jackson took a deep breath, his tight shirt showing his fit and trim chest off to his advantage, " I'll try. I really will. But back to the question. Seen any footprints?"

Before Eric could answer, a noise like tearing canvas hit their ears. Both youths turned, back to back as the noise repeated. Over and over, sounding closer each time.

" What the Fuck is that?!" Eric barked out, eyes wide and face pale.

" I'd say it's whatever left the damn paw prints.! Don't panic and don't run unless I tell you to!" Jackson said, his tone of command steadying Eric's nerves slightly. He turned his head from side to side, trying to find the source of the awful howling.

They both turned and looked up as the tree behind them suddenly shook from an impact.

They looked and saw a feline form peering down at them from fifteen feet in tree branches, half hidden in the dense vines. Green slitted eyes looked at them and a ear spitting roar of challenge met their ears.

" Eric, run!" Cody yelled, grabbing the other by and pushing him hard. They turned and ran as one back towards the beach

The animal dove after them


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

" Head for the water, " Jackson snapped harshly as the feline snarled another challenge out to the two fleeing teens, " it shouldn't follow us in too deep! " He broke branches and pulled vines as he plowed through, all but dragging Eric with him. And then, a hideous sounding yowl came from directly behind them. Jackson looked back just in time to see a yellow and tan streak hit Eric squarely on his back pack, sending him tumbling to the ground.

The cat wasn't all that large, although it probable weighed in the forty to fifty pound range. And it was doing it's best to get to Eric's neck. The only things preventing it were Eric's desperate squirming and the way the back pack kept knocking the animal off balance.

"HELP!!!" Eric shouted, naturally enough.

And the cat suddenly went flying as Jackson sent his on backpack flying into it with every fiber of strength he possessed. The tan colored monster as knocked a flip, but hopped up even louder and madder than before. Jackson stood in front of Eric, whirling his backpack in front of him, a pitiful defense against the claws and teeth of the small predator.

" Back to back! And you'll have to lead me , so fucking tell me here to step!. If I fall, that damn bobcat will be on me in about a half second!" He kept his eyes on the hissing bobcat, which growled and kept scarping it's pas, alternating between standing and hunkering down to pounce. It obviously had underestimated it's larger prey and was deciding on attacking or not.

Eric McGorrill could have cared less what the 'cat as planning ; his plan was simple: GET THE HELL AWAY FROM IT!! And that he did, snagging Jackson's shirt and tugging him as he called out. " Three big steps back. No, go left a couple of feet. Watch out, there's branches and crap all over. Where's Sylvester at?" he asked , picking the least threatening feline name he could think of for the little assailant.

Even in the danger, Jackson still asked, incredulous, " SYLVESTER?! Death Fang I more like it! That frigging thing's crazy, trying to attack two humans at one time like that! Ho much further? I don't think Sylvester is gonna be content to sit and watch much longer before he does something we won't like." he warned and he fought to keep his balance. Man, this walking backwards through the jungle while you ere trying to keep from being eaten alive was freaking difficult! He stumbled and cursed, " Eric, I need fucking directions! I nearly fell!"

" Sorry Chief!" Eric finally saw the edge of the jungle, and the clear blue water sparkled in the distance at his, a very welcome sight indeed. " Hey, I see the beach, we're almost there!"

Afterwards, Eric would always swear this: " That damn thing could speak English!. I swear to God, it knew what I said or it wouldn't have done what it did next."

It charged with a sound like a ripping sheet of canvas .

" Hang on!" Jackson shoved Eric's hand off and whirled the back pack, ready to try to beat the beast brains out, but at the last second, it veered off into the jungle.

Directly in their path.

" Why you smart little motherfucker!" Eric seemed amazed and infuriated at the exact same time. " That damn thing cut us off. What do we do now Chief?"

To be perfectly fair, Jackson looked stupefied at the cunning the small predator had shown. He looked into the thin skein of trees and shrubs that lay between them and the ocean . And he thought hard for a few seconds. Then came to a conclusion that he was certain would bring a yowl or two for Eric as well as their tormentor.

" We go through. We hit the water running and we swim the edge of the shoreline until e can swim anymore. Unless that thing is completely crazy, it'll give up after a hour or so." He cocked his head as he looked at Eric, awaiting the inevitable explosion.

Which failed to come.

" Ok, you're the boss." Eric said simply. And looked expectantly bright back into Jackson's turquoise eyes.

" You're not going to argue or pitch a bitch fit like usual?" Jackson asked in confusion. " Eric, seriously, are you ok? You're not hurt or anything?" He as being serious about it. _Eric __never__ goes along with **anyone**'s plan without at least one complaint! He's scared even worse than I thought. Plenty of that going around just now, _he thought ironically. " No plan, just stick by my side and run like hell. On three."

They both took deep breath and got into running postures.

" One, " deep breath, " Two", he glanced at Eric, a burst of love, pride and fear in his chest, " Three!" . They took off as fast as they could.

Cody thought as he ran: Run. Jump over the small bush. Trip, stagger, regain balance. Look for Eric, there! Run. Knock vines out of face. Finally, onto the sand. Turn back. Eric approaches and dammit!

The bobcat dove from the tree directly onto Eric, who was saved once again by his half shredded back pack. He went on a knee as the psycho animal attacked. He saw danger coming from a different source and ducked…

Just as Jackson slammed his back pack into the vicious feline's furry face again. The first blow staggered it, he spun around with a follow up that catapulted it into the air. He snatched Eric up and shoved him towards the water, running backwards into it himself. He didn't turn around until he was waist deep in the Pacific water.

The crazed bobcat stood there, yowling, howling, hissing , spitting and basically doing everything but shooting them the bird and throwing up feline gangs signs to them in it's fury. It had one target of opportunity though. Eric's poor back pack had gave it's all. It lay on the white sugar sand beach and received a fearsome mauling. As they swam off, Eric saw the cat pulling something out and moaned as it ripped his best pair of boxers to shreds.

" Man, now I don't have any clothes or , hell, anything to wear. That damn thing got my backpack!" He had a sour look on his narrow face as he floated there, then asked Jackson, " Now what?"

" We take off our pants , shirts and shoes, tie them on and swim as far from here as we can and hope that thing doesn't follow us, " Jackson said in a deceptively calm voice as he handed his back pack t Eric, then began to divest his clothes and shoes, to enable him to swim better.

" I hope it at least get's a stomach ache from eating my drawers, " Eric muttered as he watched his clothes be destroyed.

" He probable will. Those skid marks aren't exactly appetizing, I'd bet, " Jackson quipped as he tied his clothes into a bundle. " Ok, strip and swim time Eric, .he said, taking his back pack from the other young man.

H grinned before doing so, white teeth showing " I knew you couldn't get enough of my sexy body . You planned this just to get me naked again!"

" Just take 'em off before I throw your ass to the cat!" Jackson shot back.

But there was no denying he watched every move Eric made with a smirk firmly on his face.

They swam off looking for a safe harbor.

The bobcat looked after them, then pissed on Eric's ruined clothe before slowly padding off into the jungle. But in the opposite direction.

Author Here: yes, I'm aware that bobcat's don't live on islands. There will be an explanation in a later chapter, telling how Sylvester got there.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: There is now one more change in this story: Lex is still ten, but this was the senior trip, not junior. Eric and Jackson are both eighteen, as is Daley. Nathan and Taylor are still seventeen, they're a few months younger, so Day has a thing for a younger man. So, no snarky anonymous trolls ( they know who they are, and it ain't WOODLANIAN, Beware of Dogs or sarah) better comment about that. Anything else, shoot from the hip.**

**Chapter Thirteen**

"**Man, I don't see how fish can do this all the time without their fins falling off!" He turned and looked over at his silent friend, who was steadily swimming beside him, obviously forcing himself to a slower pace , to stay with the weaker swimmer. " Haven't we gone far enough yet Chief?" he asked plaintively, his exhaustion seeming to permeate his every movement and word. He fought to continue plowing through the warm, sun kissed Pacific water, but was privately wondering if he'd last another ten minutes.**

**Which was about three time longer than Jackson figured Eric could. And to be honest, after fighting the insane small carnivore and making this swim for safety burdened with most of their scanty supplies, he was ready to feel terra firma beneath his feet as well. He looked over at the barely moving young man beside him and spoke, " I think we should be safe to go on shore now. We have to have swam at least a mile by now and I haven't seen or heard "Sylvester", (he still couldn't believe the name Eric had tagged the deranged bobcat with!) since we took off . Maybe the damn stupid thing decided to give us up as a little too much to bite off." He slowly veered away from the plodding Eric, heading for a small cove about a hundred and fifty yards off. There seemed to be a decent sized area for them to rest and evaluate their predicament.**

**A few minutes later, the two young men waded in a definitely tired fashion up onto the small shore. Eric was untying his clothes , which were now all he had to his name, and shoes from his narrow waist. Jackson had already done the same and was already digging his wet clothes out to spread out to dry in some small nearby shrubs. Eric walked over near him and began to do the same. Then, he stripped his soggy red and green boxers off and flung them on a bush with a flourish. " Ahh, nothing like goin' native on a pristine beach!" Then, he turned his back and began to take a rather loud leak, punctuated by a even louder passing of gas.**

" **You're a class act Eric," Jackson commented dryly as he peeled his own black boxer briefs off, shaking his head at Eric's nonstop antics. He walked back over to the edge of the water and stared off into the distance, his eyes squinting in the glare from the noon sun into the water. He heard the sound of Eric's footsteps and turned back to him. He looked at Eric, who unabashedly looked him over with a smirk, then spoke.  
**

" **Well, what do we do now Cody, while our clothes dry?" He had a reasonable serious look on his face for once. And he looked pretty well out of it, to be honest. Between nearly drowning, their romp earlier, meeting the bobcat and swimming, he was literally saying on his feet. And it showed , badly.**

**Jackson was quiet for a moment, briefly closing his eyes as a cool breeze whirled around his own tired frame. And he had done at least as much as Eric, plus he had swam with his own wet backpack, which had added greatly to his fatigue. He stretched his tired arms wide and looked into Eric' face. " I say we find a fairly secure spot, grab my blade and catch a hour or two of sleep. I won't lie about it; I'm pretty well wiped out, what about you?" he inquired with an arched brown eyebrow.**

**Eric gave a tired grin at him, "I'm too wore out to do much. Even pick at you Cody." He stretched himself then, arms wide, a huge yawn threatening to dislocate his jaw. His back popped as he worked the kinks in his shoulders out, twisting left and right. " Any idea of where we can lay? I'm not dumb enough to lay on the sand, with sand fleas, crabs and God knows what else craling up to see how I taste?"**

" **Yeah, that's definitely be cruel… to the things bitin' you." **

**Eric snickered, " Good one , smart ass. Seriously, any ideas?" Fortunately, as Eric as coming to rapidly realize, Jackson must have done some planning while they had been spreading their clothes to dry. He always seemed a step ahead.  
**

**They wound up gathering fronds and making a small , make shift carpet of them. Jackson had his knife within arms reach and Eric lay curled up to his back, facing the beach. Cody as facing the jungle, the most likely source of any attack. They were about midway between the two points, one lonely tree giving them shade. After all they had been through, they were both snoring within fifteen minutes.**

**After fifty minutes, a visitor came by.**

**A hungry visitor.**

**And it wasn't the bobcat this time. Not even the same family of predator.**

**The only warning Jackson had was Eric's scream of pain as he was mercilessly attacked.**

**Author here: Sorry it's short, but I wanted to get at least a short chapter for each story out by tonight. Oh, for the two reviewers I gave a snerk to, this mystery animal isn't the other one. It's something else entirely. But, in a continuity sense, it should be there. HINT!  
**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

"**AAAH!! What the fuck?!" Eric screeching in pained outrage as needle sharp teeth bit him on the back of his left leg. He pushed against an instantly awake Jackson, who struggled to get to his feet. Even as he did, Eric lashed back at his attacker, kicking at the scaly, dry hide of his tormentor.**

**Which seemed to be a small, baby monitor lizard , of some sort. The tan colored thing might have been two feet long, weighed maybe ten pounds, and was hissing at him, baring it's teeth and scarping its small paws on the sand . It flicked it's tongue at him in what looked, to Eric's mind, like it was blowing a raspberry at him.**

**Jackson, after getting to him feet and grabbing at his self made knife, looked at the tiny wound on Eric. Then at his tiny tormentor. Then back at Eric. A toothy grin came unbidden to his handsome face. And then, he erupted at the hilarity of the situation.**

**The jungle echoed with the bright , clear sound of laughter as for once, Jackson simply lost all composure. He couldn't help it; it seemed every small predator on the damned island had decided it wanted a piece of Eric today! And when he finally came close to stopping, he looked at Eric, wiping tears of laughter from his own face, saw the disgusted expression on Eric's face and promptly began laughing all over again.**

"**Laugh it up, you effing hyena, " Eric complained loudly, jumping over to the relative safety of Jackson and his knife. " You're not the one who was on the menu!" He jerked his wounded left leg up, gingerly touching the small bite there , which, admittedly, was bleeding a fair bit. And there was no doubt from Eric's racket that it was painful. **

**Jackson tried to calm his friend down, " Dude, take a deep breath, and for once, don't use it to complain. Daddy's gonna take care of the big, bad, carnivorous lizard for you," he said, fighting back laughter the entire time as Eric smacked his shoulder, the humor of the situation finally starting to seep in. Jackson put his right hand on Eric's chest, pushing him back slightly as he gripped his razor sharp knife and flung it at the hissing little reptile. Jackson's aim was true; he hit it right in the neck.**

**The mortally injured lizard leaped into the air as though it thought it could fly. The two teens stood there with open mouths as it flipped, it flopped and finally cartwheeled, before rolling over onto it's back, it's four stubby legs up and it's tail stiff . Jackson's knife had been dislodged in the antics and he went over to here it lay, keeping an eye on the pint sized predator, just in case it wasn't as dead as it seemed.**

**Eric wasn't taking any chance; he picked up the biggest stick he could find, went over, and pounded the rapacious reptilian until there was a sickening pile of part here a lizard had once lain. " That's for my leg!" the enraged Eric exclaimed, hitting it's smashed skull one last time for good measure. He was hobbling and panting from the exertion.. **

" **All right killer, " Jackson chortled as he grabbed his a pair of his boxer briefs from a nearby shrub, " I think he's dead now." he had a smile on his face as he tossed Eric's sole surviving pair of boxer at him. " Get what clothes you have on , then we'll take car of that bite. All joking aside," he had a mild look of concern on his face as Eric pilled his underwear on, " lizard bites are supposed to be really nasty; God knows what kinds of bacteria could have been in Godzilla junior there's mouth." He pulled his favorite pair of black pants on as he spoke.**

**Eric was in his clothes now, putting his shoes on with a wince as he lifted his hurt leg up. " Yeah. I know. I've had a pet iguana for a few years now. They're good pets, but you don't want to get bit by 'em. I'm lucky, I'm not allergic to their saliva like a lot of people are. Damn, this bite's burning ." He propped against a tree and looked don at the wound. It was definitely selling some now. Eric had a definite look of pain and a trace of fear as well on his face. **_**Man, I hadn't counted on nearly becoming lunch for any animals on this trip. Maybe this wasn't a good idea after all, **_**he thought as Jackson came walking over with a small ziplock bag in his hand. **

" **Turn around. I squeezed some of the antibiotic cream into a baggie for us. I as afraid something like this might happen and I anted to be prepared, " Jackson opened the bag and went to a knee. He squirted water onto the bite, then wiped it gently with a (relatively) clean , almost dry sock. " Sorry." he said as Eric sucked in breath a Jackson accidentally snagged the edge of the wound. He put some gel onto a fingertip and rubbed it onto the injured flesh. " Stay still, I need to bandage it. Good thing I brought a few of those too."**

" **And I thought I was the klepto of the group, " Eric said wryly, looking over his shoulder at the kneeling Jackson, who was now bandaging the hurt leg. " Thanks Cody. You may have just saved my leg, man." There was gratitude in Eric's voice, not something he'd ever shown a lot of, not even to Mel, when she had kept him from dying from an allergic reaction to shellfish.**

_**Maybe there's hope for him , after all. He's been doing well , so far. Especially considering what we've been through in less than one day out here. Of course, he may just be playing nice to get back into my pants too, **_**Jackson though to himself as he went to finish packing his belongings. **_**I hate to be that cynical, but he sure went from calling me a fag to fucking me awfully quick. Maybe too quick, to be honest. I hope I'm not setting myself up for more grief. **_**Then, he scolded himself, **_**Cody, you gotta trust someone. Until Eric does something outta whack, you have **__to give him the benefit of the doubt. That's more than anyone else here had ever done, even Mel._

He turned and looked at Eric, no sign of his internal issues on his face as he waited for Eric to speak.

" I'm ready if you are chief. Man, I hope nothing else jumps out from the jungle to see if three times is the freaking charm! I'm beginning to wonder if this was a bad idea." he said, a frown on his face as he let his feelings show.

" No." Jackson said firmly. " You ere right, we can't just passively sit there and hope to be rescued. Plus, we don't have a clue about Abby, the pilot or the pothers. No, we had to do this." He silently hoped he seemed more certain than he felt, but he wasn't lying. _He was right; I'd rather be here doing something than sitting there at the camp, hoping for a miracle._

" All right, I'm willing to go just as far as you are. Lead the way Chief." Eric said, a set air to him now, holding a hand in the direction of the jungle.

" Fine. Let's move." Jackson replied with a slightly grim smile, leading the way back into the jungle.

The grisly remains of the monitor lizard ere the only trace that anyone had ever been there.

If the two humans had been just a little slower, they would have heard the crunching noise as yet another player in the game came into play, crunching on the reptilian snack they had left behind.

NEXT: We see just where the bobcat went as we visit the others.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Camp 29 Down

" MRROOARRRLL!!" went the crazed, snaggle toothed bobcat as Nathan bounced the frying pan off of it's somewhat triangular head as the overly antagonistic animal attacked the hastily discarded food Lex had been eating, a baked fish. It shook it's head, squatting back on its haunches for a second. Then it yowled it's pain for the world to hear and sprang at the springy haired Nathan. Who proved he was no fool as he did the smartest thing possible; he ran like hell. Screaming for help all the time.

" Head for the plane! We can barricade ourselves in there!" Daley commanded as she ran to Nathan, tossing him one of Jackson's spears. " Hey, where'd that thing go?' she said, confused. The cream colored ball of fury was nowhere to be seen! And that was when it as usually at it's most destructive, as they had learned that morning, when it had appeared as she and Nathan had been making a trip to the well.

They had been down there, straining water when they had the first hint that all was not as it should be. It was the strange silence that had been the main clue. It was **never **silent. There was always a background noise of birds, the infrequent hooting and hollering of the monkeys and , of course, the eternal , "Infernal" she always added, buzzing of the billion and one insects. But this morning, it had been like being in a dead zone, even the bugs seemed subdued. Nathan had mentioned it first.

" Kinda quiet out here. Sorta spooky, " he said with a smile as he poured the second of the four jugs of water into the strainer Daley was holding over the shallow well. He had a look of distaste on his face as a particularly plump leech fell from the spout into the strainer. " Ugh, even though e boil it, I still flinch hen I think about what likes to breed in our water." he said, looking as if he were about to spit.

" You big baby, " Daley teased, looking at him with a overdone look of superiority, "It beats dying of thirst doesn't it?" She ducked her head back down, forcing herself to keep a straight face. Until a snicker gave her away.

He flicked water droplets at her , snickering himself, " Sorry Daley, not everyone deserves a big red S on their underwear like you do. I'm only human."

" Barely." she fired back gamely, " Ok, that jug's full. Let's take a break, " she said, rising to her feet, " my legs are wanting to cramp from being bent over for so long. And keep the smartass comments to yourself, Eric the Second, " she warned as he rolled his eyes at her leg complaint.

As she stood and rubbed at her aching legs, she noticed the pensive look that flickered briefly across Nathan McHugh's café au lait colored face. " hat?" she asked, knowing the probable answers before she spoke. It was the main topic at camp today. And the day before .

" Just wishing I knew how Eric and Jackson are doing. Or what they're doing. And a part of me still wishes I had went with them, " he confessed, turning his eyes away from her and into the jungle. He more than halfway expected her to hand his head to him over that comment.

She didn't though. " I know everyone thinks I'm being a royal witch, with a capital B abut it, but I honestly hope they surprise us and accomplish something, I really do. But I still say it's a mistake to have separated. We need Jackson here. And , if you put the flare gun in my ear, I might even concede that I'd like Eric back here to." she said , looking as though she'd rather take a boot to the head that make **that **admission, even to Nathan.

" I never thought I'd miss the cocky clown either, but I do, " Nathan said, hands on his hips as he kept looking distractedly into the strangely silent surroundings. He turned back t Daley, a odd expression on his face, " Day, it sounds paranoid, but I feel like something's wrong, like something is out there, " he pointed his left arm in the direction of the densest part of the jungle, " like something's watching us."

_He's right, the longer we've been here, the stiller it's gotten. like something is about to happen, but I didn't ant him thinking I as being weak. _her on thought caused her a flare of irritation. _Girl, you're not competing with him anymore. And he likes you, probably as much as you like him. Plus he's right, I'm getting a really bad feeling about this place. _

" I'm ready to go if you are, " she said in a neutral tone, no sense admitting a weakness if she didn't have to she decided in a rush She adjusted her nig, floppy straw hat as she knelt over and graciously took one full and one empty jug. " we can always come back after while, all of us. It's be good exercise for Lex and Taylor and it would help Mel quit tweaking without her daily dose of Jackson. God, I still can't believe he's gay! " She shook her head , taking a couple of steps towards the path, the vines and brambles rusting as her jeans passed through them.

" You're just afraid that with Jackson firmly out of the picture, Mel and I might hook up, " Nathan said, only half teasing. He was actually hoping for any type of strong response, but before Daley could reply, a strange, sort of rippling noise came to them from the jungle.

They looked at one another. The noise came again. Louder, Closer.

" I say let's get the heck away from whatever's making that noise" Daley said, backing steadily up the path, glancing at Nathan, h looked ready to bolt. And she felt the same way.

Nathan nearly scared her into doing just that as he dropped his empty, pointing into the small clearing now twenty yards below as something jumped form the bushes and went to the tarp they kept the well covered with. " What the freak is that?!" he said, pointing at the strange new visitor.

It growled, it yowled, it howled, announcing the arrival of the bobcat dubbed " Sylvester" to the other survivors of Flight 29 Down. It made itself right at home, pissing all over the tarp even as it turned it's feline gaze upon them. It shredded the peed upon tarp casually while looking at them with a definite air f menace.

" A BOBCAT?! WTF is a BOBCAT doing on an island?! That doesn't make any sense at all!" Daley demanded f the air itself, which didn't deign to reply.

Sylvester responded however, crouching down as though he were a sprinter in the Olympics, awaiting the pistol. He looked at the two of them and , obviously being a hard headed little idiot, decided he's do what he did the last time he had came across to of the large, soft looking two legged things; he attacked. " MRRROWWLL!!" he snarled as he jetted up the hill after them.

Daley nearly fell as Nathan gave her a shove towards the general direction of the camp, " Run, I'll try to hold him off!" he said, whipping the camp knife out of his cargo pants, here he had fortunately put it after working on the shelter earlier. He looked at the 8 inch blade dubiously even as he kept back pedaling. _That thing's crazy , small as it is attacking us; I'm even crazier if I just stand still and fight it! I gotta outsmart it, but Day time to warn the others and there's only one way to do that. Get it's attention on me. Damn it!_

"Hey furface, try chewing on me!" he yelled, stepping into the path of the cat, which was about the last thing he should have done, for Sylvester jumped right at his face. However, perhaps as a result of the many blows to the head Jackson had dealt it the day before, he seemed to have trouble coordinating his attack. Nathan ducked and Sylvester hit the tree behind him with a snarl of fury, and possibly shame.

" Dude, you need glasses, " Nathan said as he ran to the left, taking a roundabout way to the camp. He managed to put a couple of dozen yards of distance between himself and the pint sized predator, who was now busy attacking the tree that had dared to be in his way! _Man, that damn thing must have rabies or be the dumbest cat in the jungle, _Nathan thought as he took full advantage of the bizarre beast's behavior, making tracks towards camp.

Apparently the word was out, for he saw Mel, Lex and Taylor booking it towards the beach. Daley was standing there waiting n him hen he puffed his ay into camp.

" What'll we do,?" he wheezed as he skidded to a halt, looking at their leader, his chest hurting from the nonstop running.

" I think we should barricade ourselves in the plane , at least until we can figure something out. Plus, Jackson's spears are in there. We can at least arm our selves." Daley said, white faced.

" Works for me, LOOK OUT!" again, Daley was shoved as thirty nine pounds of cream colored chaos turned it's addled mind to her death, leaping at her, only to hit the air. It was at that point that the frying pan had come into play.

Now ten minutes later, they were huddled in the wreck of a plane as the menace prowled the area , it's cries of anger, and maybe the pain of a concussion, filing their ears as they huddled together, unsure of what to do next.

Taylor, as always, had the most poignant of things to say about their latest predicament.

"I HAVE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM!!"

NEXT: Jackson and Eric meet Mr. Jaguar and find out how the cats got to the island. And can the others decided n a course of action before something happens to Taylor that hasn't happened since she's been potty trained? Stay tuned


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

The Next Morning

Jackson stretched and yawned after climbing up out of the lean to style shelter he and Eric had hastily pieced together about a hour before dark the evening before. It wasn't much, really just a collection of downed tree branches, twigs and fronds, but it had been sufficient to let them stretch out in Jackson's sleeping bag. Eric's was another victim of the mentally unbalanced "Sylvester".

Of course, they hadn't exactly went straight off to sleep. They had debated on admitting they had underestimated the degree of difficulty they had encountered thus far. When Jackson had asked Eric pointblank if he was ready to go back to the others and admit failure, he'd gotten a typically profane McGorrill style answer.

" Have you lost your fucking MIND?! If that dumbass spastic twat Abby can survive out here then so can we. And there's no way in hell I'm giving Daley and Nathan the satisfaction of seeing me come crawling back and hearing "we told you so" until we finally get off this damn island. Fuck that!" He had stood there at the end of his tirade, red faced, hands on his hip, face defiant and eyes like hazel gems, glittering with the force of his emotions. And it had a effect on his traveling companion. A strong one.

_MY horny ass practically ripped his clothes off of him before we had our six hour marathon sexfest last night. God, I've got to get myself under control! We're like a gay/bi Edward and Bella from Twilight or something. UGH! I'D BE BELLA!! _The thought had nearly made him physically ill. Not that he minded sex with Eric, far from it. It was just that the severely OCD behavior in that book had always disturbed him. _And now I'm acting like ol Sparklepants myself! Man. _

He puttered around for a while, then he heard the unmistakable sounds of his friends arising.

" OWW! Dammit Cody, you've gotta trim those nails! My back feels like a damn bobcat's got ahold of it!" PRFFTT!! Came another of Eric's usual noises, followed by a complaint, " Dude, that sounded weaker than usual, maybe we shouldn't have flip flopped." He came out of the shelter wearing Cody' smallest pair of plain black boxer briefs. They were all but skin tight on him; they were almost too loose on the thirty pound lighter Eric.

The thought made Jackson grin, mumbling aloud.

" What was that?" Eric asked, scratching his nether regions, yet another of his many charming personal habits Jackson had decided he could live with, for now. Eric walked over to him, a questioning look on his face, " What did you say?'

Jackson couldn't laughing before he repeated it , " Twink. I never thought I'd fall for a twink. You're just not exactly the type I'm usually attracted to." He expected Eric to have a smart ass retort, but received a question instead.

" What the hell is a twink?" he said, a confused look on his narrow, unshaven face. " Is that some sorta insult or something?"

Fighting back laughter, Jackson began to explain, _God, I never thought I'd be explaining gay descriptive terms to ERIC!, _he thought as he defined the term. " A twink is a guy built like you, sort of slim, but reasonably fit. Not excessively masculine." he added with a crooked grin.

Eric split the air with his righteous indignation. " Hey, You're the one who likes it up the ass, not me!" He had a severely offended air about him, his whole body gone tense with anger at the perceived insult.

" Yeah, I like to bottom a little better than I like to top, " Cody conceded with a grin, enjoying having gotten Eric this hot so easily, " but due, I'm not too far from being a twink myself. I'm on the borderline between being a twink and a hunk. Hell, a twink can be a top, bottom or like me , versatile, that means they like it anyway they can get it.I'm just usually attracted to bigger guys than you. "

Eric looked slightly mollified at the explanation. He sat down in the opening of the shelter and inquired, " And just what is your type Jackson. Some great big hairy guy with tattoos and a ton of piercing?" he said, smarmily.

Jackson ignored the attitude and continued with Gay Terms 101. " No. Not much into bears, hairy type. I kinda like hunks , you know, jock sorts, college guys. Sometimes I like some muscle guys, but too much , like a bodybuilder, is a turn off. What I really like though is…"he let his voice trail off.

" What?" Eric prompted.

" Thugs." Jackson said, a slightly embarrassed look on his face.

" Thugs, what do you mean, thugs, like gangstas or something. You kinky fucker, I **knew** you liked it rough!" Eric snickered with malicious glee.

" Sort of. I like rough guys. Take charge sorts. But it's not all about dominance. Sometimes, I get off on the idea of dominating them. And man, I get off big time on the idea of dominating someone like that. Or being dominated by them. Especially white guys who try to act that way." he flushed as he admitted the last.

Eric brayed like a donkey, " Cody, you perv! I bet you jack off thinking about getting Eminem up the butt!"

" I'll take the Fifth on that." Jackson said, looking down at the ground, "besides, he's too old for me."

"Hey, a hard dick has no conscience." Eric said reasonably. Then started braying again.

" I'm looking at walking proof of that natural law.' Jackson said archly.

They grew quiet for a brief time, then Jackson spoke. " Well, we've killed enough time. Grab a few clothes outta my bag and get dressed. We'll got find some food, then get moving. It looks like it may rain later." he said, looking up at the slowly darkening clouds. Thunder from off in the distance seemed to agree with him as Eric got up and sought out fresher clothes.

***************************************************************************************************************************

Later that day.

They had been going for about three hours now. They had seen a series of hills and Jackson had made the decision to climb one, so as to better reconnoiter the area. After a hot, grueling fifteen minute hike up the 12 degree slope , he and Eric had made it to the top. They dropped their scanty supplies and sat on a small out perch , looking don at the verdant vista below them, enjoying an all too infrequent breeze as they did so.

Eric squinted suddenly, then jumped to his feet , pointing at a flash of silver , gleaming up at them from the valley floor below, " Hey, there's something metal down there. And there's a big hole in those trees too, " he said, excitement in his voice as Jackson got up and walked over beside him to look.

And he saw that Eric was right. In fact, it looked like something had torn a strip through the low lying shrubs and brush in the not too distant past there. And as the sun peeked out from the dark, fortunately dispersing clouds, more metal gleamed at them. In a flash, Jackson realized hat they ere looking at .

' I'll be damned. Looks like 29 DWN wasn't the first plane to wreck on this island after all." he said , a frail type of hope building in his chest. " Even if no one's down there, maybe they had a radio. It's worth checking out, anyway."

Eric grabbed Cody' backpack up and slung it over his shoulder, " what're we waiting for?" he asked rhetorically, a smile of anticipation on his face.

The two young men headed down with all possible haste.

" I hate these damn vines! It's like trying to wrestle with an octopus or something!" Eric wrenched free of yet another tangle with an huge effort. " Are we there yet?" he asked , knowing the answer already. Or so he thought.

" We're there." Jackson said, relief plain in his voice. _I like Eric , I really, really do. But if he complains just one more time I'm going to give him something really big up his ass . Like both feet!. _" I see the main body of the plan, about fifty yards ahead."

Eric sped and caught up with the older teen. They stopped about fifteen yards from the plane wreck and looked at it. Eric read a signoff of the side aloud.

" Property of Seago and Sons Circus. Caution: Trained personnel Only. Dangerous animals aboard. Wear protective gear at all time. This is NOT an option!" he said, emphasizing the last line, which had been written on it by hand.

Jackson was nodding his head as enlightenment sank in. " I knew there was no way that freaking bobcat swam here! It must have been on this plane and escaped when it crashed somehow."

" Well, let's check it out. If we can find a radio on it, maybe Lex can get it working." Eric said hopefully.

" Let's go." Jackson said . They resumed walking when a noise came from inside the plane. A sort of growling that was all too familiar to them. A purring sound, but with teeth and claws implied in it.

Eric gripped the spear Jackson had made for hi before their departure from the little love shack they had made last night tightly. "I'm ready for that damn overgrown house cat this time! Payback's gonna be a bitch Sylvester!' he said loudly, hoping to draw their tiny tormentor out."

Jackson had his knife in one hand and his on spear in the other . He dropped his backpack and bedroll , ready to deal with the psycho bobcat.

He nearly fainted when a huge whiskered muzzle stuck out of a shattered window of the old plane body. It unleashed a roar that made his bowels feel weak and his heart go cold.

The head alone as at least two third the size of Sylvester's torso. And he didn't even ant to think about ho big the rest of the jaguar that was looking at him like an unexpected snack must be. He gave a command to Eric even as the ferocious feline bellowed again.

" JET!!!" And he turned and bolted as fast as his long legs would take him.

NEXT: Jackson and Eric are running for their lives. Sylvester has the others trapped in 29DWN. Can they can they survive? Don't miss the double sized conclusion! All this and more coming soon.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

The horrifying scream of the jaguar split the air again as the two teenagers fled as fast as humanly possible from the crash site. Jackson expected to feel teeth or claws slashing into his flesh at any moment. And yet, he heard no signs of pursuit nor any had anything happened to Eric either. After a few more seconds, he risked looking behind him for any sign of their pursuer.

Nothing was to be see behind them. The jungle was still and silent.

Eric came to a halt the second he realized Cody was no longer running. He asked nervously, " Where's the freaking cat at? Is ii playing some kind of game with us or something?". His voice was higher pitched than normal from his barely suppressed panic as he looked at Jackson.

Who had his attention focused on the missing jaguar. He made a quieting motion at Eric as he strained to hear any noise from the predator. At first, he heard nothing. Then, he realized he could hear it. And it sounded as if it was still at the plane wreck, for some bizarre reason. _I don't get it. That thing could take me or Eric without breaking a sweat, unless it's hurt or trapped … _"That's got to be it." he said to himself as the possibilities firmed up.

" What has to be it? What are you talking about man?" Eric asked, peering into the foliage as if he expected to be attacked at any instant. Which , considering the luck they had had on their trip, was probably a justifiable reaction.

" There's no way we could have outran that thing. So it's obviously not following us," the taller teen said, still breathing hard from their dash. " It's got to be hurt or have some reason for not following us. I don't know which it is, but I'm not sure I plan on sticking around to find out. The smartest thing we could do would be run straight back to camp and warn the others." he had a thoughtful, but scared expression on his face.

Eric felt his stomach seem to flip as he looked at Jackson. He knew that look by now. " I know that expression Cody. You're planning on doing something to help , but it's scaring you too. What's on your mind Chief?" he asked in an almost calm, resigned way. _What's he up to __**now**__?_

Jackson looked in the direction of the wreck, then back at Eric before slowly replying. " Something's not right. That thing, and I think it's a jaguar, should have caught us and killed us both by now, but it hasn't . That means either it's hurt and can't catch us, which I don't believe, because it sure didn't act hurt, or it's trapped itself in the plane wreck somehow. "

" And let me guess, you want to find out for certain," Eric said, a look of disbelief on his face as he looked a Jackson as if he thought he'd completely lost his mind. And he said as much," Are you completely crazy?! That thing would kill you with one swat and you want to go **closer** to it? Cody, I'm not going anywhere near that fucking thing!"

" Nobody asked you to." Jackson said, a coldness in his eyes as he traded looks with the slim McGorrill, " I don't want to die Eric," he said, forcing his temper under control, "but we need to know. That thing makes Sylvester look like a kitten. It could take us all out .We need to find out and tell the others."

Eric took a deep breath and bowed to the inevitable. Jackson was simply too stubborn and too honorable to not try to do this. And he had yet to win an argument with him about anything like this. " Fine. What's your plan?'

" Wow, what a great plan. You're like , Leonidas or something." Eric grumbled as he watched his friend from fifty yards away. He **hated** this plan. Especially since all it amounted to was Jackson sneaking up on the jaguar while Eric was safely back. _And if it kills Cody, I'm supposed to haul ass =back to the others while keeping one eye out for the jaguar, the other open for Sylvester and another for Russell, Abby, Ian and Jory. I don't have enough eyes! Yep, it's gonna be like that movie, the 300. And we're the Spartans! _

He grew still as he watched the tall, brown haird young man he'd come to care greatly for disappear near the fuselage of the downed plane. And then, he nearly wet his pants (actually, a pair of Jackson's ) as the howl of the jaguar came to him. He drew a breath and tensed, ready to run, when Jackson reappeared . We waved Eric forwards, a satisfied expression on his face even from here. Eric hurried to rejoin his friend.

Moments later, Jackson had grabbed a startled Eric up in a brief bear hug, startling him even more with a quick, firm kiss on his lips as he spun the smaller young man around. " We're safe. Athat stupid thing's trapped in there. As near as I can figure, it came in through the side door and it got closed in. It's stuck in the passenger area of the plane, but there's even better news…" he let his words trail off in a tantalizing fashion.

" Don't be an ass, spill it. This isn't the time for theatrics,' Eric complained with a smile.

" The radio still works. I had to climb over a couple of dead bodies, " Cody said, a sad look on his face briefly for the dead pilot and copilot, who had been apparently killed in the crash, "but it works. Want to take turns calling for help?"

" Hell yeah! " came the response as Eric turn his turn, picking Jackson up and planting one on him. " Say, can we have some marathon sex while we wait?" Eric asked hopefully.

He enjoyed the response he got.

" Thank God for poopy pails!" Taylor mumbled as she left the curtained off rear area of the wreck of 29DWN. " I thought I was going to die until Lex found that bucket ," she said relieved in more ways than one.

The side of the plane wreck shook as the thirty five plus pounds of demented bobcat bounced off for the fifty or sixtieth time since it had cornered the five of them inside of it. Natrhan and Daley traded look of blended corncern and steadily increasing irritation at the noise. The had managed to used the interior door to the cargo area and the netting there to made a barricade over the hole in the side of the plane. The three spears they had had proved enough to painfully discourage the perverse predator. But, at a cost.

It seemed at least part of the bobcat's problem was that it was in serious need of sleep. Because it certainly hadn't let _them_ sleep in over twenty six hours now! Everytime It had gotten quiet for any length of time, the irritating thing had promptly resumed it's noisy, but so farm harmless, attacks.

Daley winced as the sound of clawes hitting metal made her grate her teeth. " Why won't that damn thing just give up and go away?! It can likk all of us; it's just not big enough."

" You might change your mind if it's ripping your face off!" taylor hissed as she looked out of a window, then bounced off the far wall as the hairy monster bounced off the window she had just looked out of. It shook it addled head, then came the unmistakable sound of it marking it's territory on the side of the metal tube.

" I think it like you Taylor, " Nathan said with a grin. So far, every single time Taylor had looked out, the troubled tabby had went wild. " I must have a taste for rich food."

" Eeww. It thinks I'm a gourmet treat! Ahh!" she pulled at her hair in frustration as Mel and Daley snickered.

Lex, as usual, was far more somber. " I just hope Jackson and Eric didn't run into any more like that one." he winced as the bobcat yowled in frustration.

" they're probably too busy getting lost to do much." Daley said darkly. " I was afraid something would happen to them, I never expected it would be the rest of us to need rescuing by them."

" They're probably busy right about now." Nathan said, a grin pulling at the corners of his mouth.

" Busy doing what?" Taylor said, confused. " Probably doing each other." Daley said, glancing at Mel. Who made Made Daley's world spin with her comment.

" I sure hope so. Jackson would be so good for Eric, if he's smart enough to realize it. They'd be a perfect couple." She seemed surprised at the looks of amazement her attitude and words had produced.

" You gotta be kidding me?!" Lex said in dismay. " Jackson and Eric, that's wrong in so many ways!"

Taylor was surprisingly insightful with it:" Eric hasn't got a whole lot of choice. I'm sure not going to touch him, neither would Daley or Mel and he's always complaining about having to "do it himself"," she said with a cringe.

Nathan laughed heartily, " I hope Jackson's got a strong stomach, "cause the though of a naked , turned on Eric sure makes me want to blow chunks." His smile faded somewhat at his words. " If I had eaten enough in the last day and a half to have any to spew. That thing ruined four meals!" he complained as Sylvester hopped up onto the cockpit , pooping on it. Again.

" Bad kitty!" Mel said, slapping at the glass. Even inside the plane, she could hear the passing wind. " Yuck! That thing is so nasty!"

"Reminds me of Eric, to be honest." Daley said as she sat back down. " Is it too much to hope for that it finally falls asleep, before we starve to death?"

And then, they heard the last thing they expected to hear: a gunshot!

And a hole appeared in the side of the plane barely three feet from Taylor, who shrieked at the top of her lungs.

" Dammit Eric, you bumped my freaking arm! I could have killed somebody!" Jackson roared as he shoved Eric back with one arm. His right shoulder throbbed from the discharge of the mammoth double barreled elephant gun, A Wilby .470. It looked like it could take out a tank, and that wasn't too far from the truth.

After , er, "relaxing" between radio calls, Eric had prowled the outside of the plane. Besides finding the gruesome remains of two other people, he'd found a small cargo area. And inside ad been this rifle and the smaller pistol Jackson had in the waistband of his pants. And it was a good thing he did for

" MRRROAARRRWWWLL!!" said Sylvester as he jumped from the roof of the pane, landing on Jackson with a sickening thud. His claws torn the rifle from Jackson with a resounding boom as the gun went off. A coconut in the top of a nearby tree exploded in a white bloom as the huge round shredded it.

Jackson twisted and pulled, crying out in pain as the claws raked his posterior even worse than Eric had earlier. He felt with dismay the pistol dropping as he tried to get away from the insane animal. Suddenly, a pair of café au lait colored hands were there , pulling him away as Nathan jumped in to rescue his friend. But Sylvester wasn't too bothered; he simply jumped on NATHAN'S back!

Eric had darted in and grabbed the pistol, he tossed it to Jackson.

Who , trembling at the risk, commanded Nathan, " Nate, bend over!" words he'd never thought he'd say to any guy ,other than Eric.

Nathan did so and Cody Jackson took the shot. A single 38 caliber bullet finally ended the life of the wildest predator the island had ever known.

Of course, the second it was over was when the Marine helicopter arrived .

Six hours later, three more choppers were taking off from the island. They had located Russell , Ian and Jory in an abandoned base on the north side of the island. Abby had been found in a clearing, half delirious, about four miles from camp . And the Marines had filled them in on th other plane, as Jackson was telling Lex and Mel, who were in the chopper with him and Eric.

" Somehow, the damn bobcat, Sylvester, " they looked at Eric, who grinned at his nickname for the little beast, " must have gotten loose while they were in the air. They crashed and he got loose. The jaguar must have been loose, but got stuck in the plane. Good thing. The little one was bad enough; he really would have killed us all . But, it's all over now' he said with a tired smile.

Which Eric shared. And Mel noticed it.

" So, are the two of you going to be, well, together when we get home or are you, " she looked directly at Jackson, " going backing the closet ?"

He looked at Eric, who responded by leaning over and laying his head in Cody's lap with a grin. " Is this answer enough for you?"

Mel and Lex goggled at them.

Jackson spoke again as the left the island, the beloved, hated in the distance. " No. No more hiding who I am . Idiot here, " he looked down at Eric, love in his eye, " swears he'll wait for me , no matter what. So, I was out on an Island, now, I'm just out." he laid back and closed his eyes, content I the company.

The End.


End file.
